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Comment: Why didn’t FaceTime have its ‘Zoom’ moment during COVID-19?

The rise of Zoom could be the headline for the 2020 technology scene. Zoom has replaced classrooms, board meetings, concerts, and even some low budget sporting events. What I find interesting about Zoom is how it took off for video communications while we had other services that were better in a lot of ways. I particularly want to look at FaceTime during COVID-19, and how despite having a nearly decade long existence and being built into every iOS and macOS device, it didn’t have its ‘Zoom’ moment, and why Zoom became the new default group video service. 
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Photographer under coronavirus lockdown takes remote portraits via FaceTime

Photographer shoots portraits via Facebook

One business that has been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown is photography – but a British photographer has come up with an innovative solution: taking remote portraits via FaceTime.

Tim Dunk’s main business is wedding photography, and that has completely dried up as all mass-gatherings are banned, forcing people to postpone their weddings.

The idea of taking portraits via FaceTime is not quite as crazy as it sounds …


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Opinion: FaceTime for Android and Windows could make it the new default

FaceTime for Android and Windows

Various people have suggested in the past that Apple should allow FaceTime for Android and Windows, in an attempt to make it the default standard for consumer video calls. That idea gained new impetus when Apple launched the Group FaceTime function for calls between up to 32 people.

But the coronavirus outbreak has taken consumer group videoconferencing to a whole new level. Back in February, most non-techies had never done it in their lives. Fast-forward to now, and Zoom conferences are a completely normal thing for everyone …


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App users claim they’d pay up to $4/month for popular apps, including FaceTime

Apple Pay

Users of 16 popular iOS and Android apps claim that they would be willing to pay a monthly subscription for popular apps if there was no longer a free version.

WhatsApp was the one most users would rather pay for than give up, while YouTube was the app for which they’d be willing to pay the highest subscription fee…


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Trump administration considering banning end-to-end encryption – Politico

Trump administration considering banning end-to-end encryption

The Trump administration is considering the possibility of banning end-to-end encryption, as used by services like Apple’s Messages and FaceTime, as well as competing platforms like WhatsApp and Signal.

The topic was reportedly the main topic of a previously-unreported meeting of a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday …


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Group FaceTime server restored following iOS 12.1.4 release, feature disabled on older versions

Group FaceTime

Apple has turned its Group FaceTime feature back on following the release of iOS 12.1.4 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Apple manually disabled the feature over a week ago after a privacy bug was discovered with Group FaceTime that allowed eavesdropping between FaceTime users.

Apple has also shared an on-the-record statement confirming the fixes are in place:


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Apple releasing iOS 12.1.4 to fix FaceTime eavesdropping bug later today [Now available]

iOS 12.1.4 FaceTime fix

Update: iOS 12.1.4 is now available.

Last week was a tough one for Apple and privacy. First, a huge bug in Group FaceTime would allow someone to eavesdrop on another FaceTime user just by calling them and adding themselves to a group call before the contact answered. Then, a project from Facebook was revealed to be spying on users, violating Apple’s Enterprise Developer Program policies. The latter was dealt with by revoking Facebook’s enterprise certificate, rendering their internal apps unusable. The same action was taken against Google, which had a similar project.


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Democrats pen letter to Tim Cook seeking answers on FaceTime eavesdropping bug

The US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has today penned a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook with a list of questions about the FaceTime eavesdropping bug. The letter is signed by Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky.

In the letter, the committee says it is “deeply troubled” about the bug, as well as how long it took Apple to address the issue.


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Apple says iOS fix for Group FaceTime bug now coming next week, issues apology

Apple has today released an update on the FaceTime eavesdropping bug and offered an apology. The company says it has patched the flaw on its servers and will roll out an update to iOS users next week to bring back Group FaceTime with the bug fixed. It also makes a promise to improve how it handles bug reports and its escalation process.


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UK’s GCQH wants Apple and others to secretly add law enforcement to encrypted chats and calls

GCHQ Apple

Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – the UK equivalent of the NSA – is calling on Apple and other tech companies to secretly add law enforcement agents to Messages chats, FaceTime calls and other forms of encrypted chat on demand.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has said this would be like the recently-discovered FaceTime bug, only worse …


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New York State Attorney General says Group FaceTime bug is a ‘serious threat’, launching investigation into how long Apple knew

iOS 12.1.4 FaceTime fix

While we’re waiting on Apple’s fix for the Group FaceTime bug, the New York State Attorney General announced today that it is launching an investigation into Apple’s “slow response.” This comes after allegations that Apple was first alerted to the eavesdropping flaw earlier this month.


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Woman claims she alerted Apple about FaceTime eavesdropping bug days ago, shares video evidence

Group FaceTime

More details surrounding the major FaceTime eavesdropping bug that 9to5Mac exclusively reported on yesterday are emerging. A woman has claimed that her teenage son discovered the flaw and warned Apple about it last week. Now a video has surfaced as evidence for the teenager’s discovery dated January 23rd.


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Comment: Apple’s own privacy standards make FaceTime bug massively damaging

The revelation that a major FaceTime bug can effectively turn your Apple devices into a hot mic, allowing a caller to hear or even see you before you pick up, would be a massive embarrassment no matter which company was involved. It’s an absolutely crazy security fail.

But when that company is Apple – which has been ceaselessly pushing privacy of late – it becomes so cringeworthy we’re going to have to invent a whole new scale just to measure it …


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