iOS 8's privacy notification not sitting well with some developers
Along with the more headline-grabbing feature additions to iOS 8, Apple tweaked a few smaller items such as the way users are alerted to each app's use of location data. That change isn't going over well with some developers who feel that the alerts can create anxiety and shake the trust of the user without reason.
When an app that uses location data needs to keep its information up to date in the background, a new notification alerts the user to this fact, asking if background location tracking is ok or not. "It sounds like a confusing and almost nefarious thing," Runkeeper's Max Freiert explained to The Information, suggesting that the wording and timing of the pop-up might cause unnecessary alarm.
In the end, it's up to the user to know what is happening on their device, and in an age where privacy and personal security is everyone's top priority, it's a good thing that users are alerted to an app tracking their location. However, with so few words to work with in a relatively small notification window, I can certainly see how the message could be misconstrued and feel more like a dire warning than a simple reminder.
Many apps already include their own pop-ups that explain why the phone is about to ask for a permission before it actually does, allowing the developer a chance to put the user's mind at ease ahead of time. That may be the best solution in this case, as privacy alerts are certainly not going to be going away any time soon.
