this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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Privacy
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The entire point of the keyboard is that it's not built in. The philosophy behind the organization making it says that it shouldn't be built in.
Nowhere in their site does it say such a thing, and I think you're interpreting it the way you want to believe it.
They simply say that people should have control over their information.
I agree. That's why it should be built into the keyboard, and ONLY activated if the user opts-in. If they don't, then they will be cutting off their nose, in order to spite their face.
Users will gladly contribute, so long as the path to contribution is the least painful it can be. Opting in via the keyboard app is the only reasonable route to do this; not via some website.
You're welcome to read their beliefs here: https://futo.org/about/what-does-futo-believe/
If the data needed to help improve swipe accuracy goes to helping improve the product, and is not sold and used as a business model - then that is perfectly within reasonable use of the data as explained by their beliefs page.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.futo.inputmethod.latin.playstore
You're missing the whole anonymization layer they've implemented here. If actual typing data is used, the app can't guarantee user control of the data after opt-in. The data they're using here is not private user typing data to begin with.
I'd recommend listening to Louis Rossman's talks on the subject.
I'm not missing anything, I'm one of Louis Rossman's Patreon members. I work in the same field as he does (or, well, used to, technically).
The only data they're collecting is what swipe pattern coincides with which word. You swipe, it mispredicts, you choose the word that it should have been, and poof - a library of swiped shapes -> word gets created.
It doesn't violate privacy, it's anonymized, and it helps improve the system for others.
There's no reason to go to the extent you claim they must.
Ok cool, but I'll still support this initiative, because as FUTO states, a keyboard should not connect to the internet.