[HN Gopher] "Could you disable your Mac's password?" asked at an...
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       "Could you disable your Mac's password?" asked at an Apple store
       (2018)
        
       Author : spenvo
       Score  : 9 points
       Date   : 2021-06-07 22:05 UTC (57 minutes ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (spencerdailey.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (spencerdailey.com)
        
       | decktech wrote:
       | I had the same experience at the apple store a few years ago,
       | where they asked me for my password. They insisted they needed it
       | to run "hardware checks." I think I ended up just wiping it
       | before giving it to them.
       | 
       | I wasn't happy about it, so I complained to corporate. I got a
       | voicemail a few days later from a very apologetic store manager,
       | saying that they would review the policy (who knows if they did).
       | Furthermore, they found issues with my logic board, and replaced
       | it (out of warranty) for free. So that was nice. Still wouldn't
       | ever turn in a computer for service without wiping it however.
        
       | weaksauce wrote:
       | Considering the recent payout from apple over leaked images from
       | a college woman that was asked to hand over the password for the
       | phone she had serviced it's a pretty atrocious ask for a strictly
       | hardware issue.
        
       | sarreph wrote:
       | I too was asked to provide my user (admin) password when getting
       | my MacBook's screen replaced at an Apple Store. I had the same
       | concerns as OP, but I asked if I could set up a new, separate
       | user account with standard permissions (just for them) so that
       | they could verify their work that way.
       | 
       | That was a fine _compromise_ for them, but it did make me wonder
       | how many other, less-savvy customers were providing their main
       | admin passwords in this manner...
        
       | NikolaeVarius wrote:
       | Lenovo does this too. I just wiped my computer and made
       | installing/testing the OS their responsibility.
        
       | sneak wrote:
       | Apple can read all of your iMessages and texts out of your
       | non-e2e iCloud Backups, and they can see all of your Photos in
       | your iCloud Photos. iCloud syncs all of your contacts to them,
       | too.
       | 
       | Every time you open the App Store, it sends your hardware serial
       | number to Apple with your Apple ID, which is tied to your name
       | and address and phone number and payment cards.
       | 
       | Having location services on means your location is being sent in
       | realtime over the network to Apple. Launching apps sends
       | identifiers over the network to Apple in realtime (unencrypted,
       | even, so even your ISP can see).
       | 
       | Even if you have iCloud off, using Siri sends your contacts and
       | other data to Apple.
       | 
       | Books and Music track what you listen to, how often, and on which
       | devices, under your Apple ID.
       | 
       | Even if you don't use Apple for email, iCloud syncs your recent
       | addresses autocomplete to Apple, who can see who you correspond
       | with.
       | 
       | Apple's "commitment to privacy" or whatever presupposes that you
       | don't need or want privacy from Apple.
        
       | greyface- wrote:
       | Last time I turned in my MacBook Pro for repair (battery
       | replacement), I pulled the SSD out ahead of time. They were
       | pretty upset with me for this, but were able to complete the
       | repair just fine.
       | 
       | With the more recent models, the SSD is soldered on and this
       | would have been impossible.
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2021-06-07 23:02 UTC)