Comment by 1vuio0pswjnm7

"What I want is very simple: I want software that doesn't send anything to the Internet without some explicit intent first."

It exists. I use such software everyday. For example, I am submitting this comment using a text-only browser that does not auto-load resources.

But this type of smaller, simpler software is not popular.

For example, everyone commenting in this thread is likely using a browser that auto-loads resources to submit their comments. HN is more or less a text-only website and this "feature" is not technically necessary for submitting comments. All so-called "modern" web browsers send requests to the internet without explicit intent first. IN addition to auto-loading resources, these browsers automatically run Javascript which often sends further requests never intended by the web user.

Brand new Apple computers now send packets to the internet as soon as the owner plugs them in for the first time. This may enable tracking and/or data collection. Apple proponents would likely argue "convenience" is the goal. This might be true. But the goal is not the issue. The issue is how much the computer owner is allowed to control the computer they buy. Some owners might prefer that the computer should not automatically send packets to remote Apple servers. Often it is not even possible to disable this behaviour. Computer purchasers never asked for these "convenenience" features. Like the subject of this submission, Apple Photos, these are Apple's decisions. The computer owner is not allowed to make decisions about whether to enable or disable "convenience" features.

As the court acknowledged in its opinion in US v Google, default settings are significant. In this case, it is more than a default setting. It is something the owner cannot change.