Comment by GlumWoodpecker
1 month ago
This can only ever be opt-in if you want to stay on the legal side of the GDPR (and equivalents in other jurisdictions). You can ask, but the default needs to be "no" if no answer is given.
I provide telemetry data to KDE, because they default to collecting none, and KDE is an open-source and transparent project that I'd like to help if I can. If I used your app, I would be likely to click yes, since it's open-source. Part of the problem I have with projects collecting user data is the dark patterns used or the illegal opt-out mechanism, which will make me decline sending telemetry every time, or even make me ditch it for an alternative. An app that asks:
Can we collect some anonymized data in order to improve the app?
[Yes] [No]
...with equal weight given to both options, is much more likely to have me click Yes if none of the buttons are big and blue whilst the other choice is in a smaller font and "tucked away" underneath the other (or worse, in a corner or hidden behind a sub-menu).
Plus, I would think that SOME data would be better than NO data, even if there's an inherent bias leaning towards privacy-minded/power users.
> This can only ever be opt-in if you want to stay on the legal side of the GDPR
The GDPR only applies to personal data. You can collect things like performance data without opt-in (or even an opt-out option) as long as you are careful to not collect any data that can be used to identify an individual, so no unique device IDs or anything like that. Of course, you should be transparent about what you collect. You also have to be careful about combinations of data points that may be innocuous on their own but can be used to identify a person when combined with other data points.