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0 pointsenriquto7y ago0 comments

> The Airbnb app prevents screenshots on certain pages on the OS level on Android

it is creepily dystopian that this sort of behavior is even possible

0 comments

Ticketmaster also does that. It's incredibly shitty that they disable functionality on your phone.

The problem is that the operating system gives this power to the app developers and not to you. The shit is on the side of the android developers, not on the app developers, which are simply using an API available to them.

Cthulhu_7y ago

I think you're overreacting there and misappropriating that term to express your outrage, without thinking of realistic use cases. It's a security feature. Bank apps and 2FA apps probably have it as well when displaying sensitive information. In Airbnb it's probably a protective measure to avoid sharing information via screenshots instead of links to the app / website though. That's not dystopian either though.

realusername7y ago

It's not a "security" feature, anything which can be displayed can be captured, you can even take a picture of your phone with another phone if you want, it just makes users annoyed without adding any security.

Spivak7y ago

Just because you can get around a policy doesn't make it ineffective. I'm sure that slight barrier reduced the number of people taking screenshots of their bank app 99%. Perfect is the enemy of good.

1 more reply

andreareina7y ago

How about app makers stop infantilizing us? I'm an adult, responsible for my actions and the consequences thereof. I keep records of actions I take on my bank's website, so I have to work around them disabling right-clicks.

I give them the benefit of Hanlon's razor as far as their reasoning is concerned, but it's not something to excuse.

enriqutoOP7y ago

> It's a security feature. Bank apps and 2FA apps probably have it as well

And I would be creeped out as well by a bank website disabling the ability to take screenshots!

The computer is mine to command. I simply do not find acceptable that a user program can disable basic functionality.

ForHackernews7y ago

Sadly, I think the era of general-purpose computing may be drawing to a close. Too many people are happy to settle for terminal appliances rather than real computers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

monksy7y ago

Ticketmaster also does that. It's incredibly shitty that they disable functionality on your phone.

enriqutoOP7y ago

Cthulhu_7y ago

realusername7y ago

Spivak7y ago

Just because you can get around a policy doesn't make it ineffective. I'm sure that slight barrier reduced the number of people taking screenshots of their bank app 99%. Perfect is the enemy of good.

1 more reply

andreareina7y ago

I give them the benefit of Hanlon's razor as far as their reasoning is concerned, but it's not something to excuse.

enriqutoOP7y ago

> It's a security feature. Bank apps and 2FA apps probably have it as well

And I would be creeped out as well by a bank website disabling the ability to take screenshots!

The computer is mine to command. I simply do not find acceptable that a user program can disable basic functionality.

ForHackernews7y ago

Sadly, I think the era of general-purpose computing may be drawing to a close. Too many people are happy to settle for terminal appliances rather than real computers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse