# Update to app (at least on iPhone) wants me to give up privacy



## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

I have to agree to override any privacy settings I have and also allow Nielson tv ratings to have access to what I watch. 
Unbelievable that they are taking away any privacy that I want and have set up.

So I probably won't use the DirectV app and will delete it. Maybe the beginning of the end of DirectV for me.

I didn't know they could actually force you to override the privacy settings you had selected in order to use something.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

You're not being forced. You have the choice of accepting or not. That said, it's still a crappy deal.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

And besides why do you care if they or Nielsen Knows what you are watching since what you are watching is what determines what shows survive. It just helps your shows survive. What you are watching is not a big deal at all to me. I'm always curios why it's a big deal to others...


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## Billzebub (Jan 2, 2007)

I've just seen this update is available. Does anyone know if my GenieGo will still work if I download this update?


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## boufa (Dec 24, 2007)

UGH!!!!! Privacy freaks. You have never had privacy, and you never will. Get over it. No one cares what porn or cooking shows you are watching. There are millions of shows being watched at any moment, and there are millions of people's data being pieced together. So your data is such a small an insignificant bit, that no one really cares about you personally. Your privacy is protected by being in a crowd. In many, many cases you are receiving the benefit of that data mining. You are seeing the shows that are made, kept, and developed based on viewing preferences. Its a good thing, that helps them develop things that people actually want, rather than guessing and wasting resources on junk.

NEWS FLASH ... You are just not that important as an individual... your not. Even if they publicly published a list of every TV show you ever watched, guess what.... No one cares what you watched. Few if anyone would waste their time trying to see if Bob watched The Bachelor last night. But as a part of a larger whole, you are very valuable, and still pretty darn private.


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

It isn't my privacy per say - it is the statement that I have to override my privacy selections that I have already made on the web. So why do they offer privacy selections if they are just going to make me override them. 

I know everyone if watching and making money on my every keystroke but that doesn't mean it isn't wrong. I pay a lot for DirecTV and then they want to make money off what I watch also.
Sorry, giving up isn't the answer. Lack of control and privacy has gotten way, way to far


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## Barry in Conyers (Jan 14, 2008)

There is no legitimate reason for the DirecTV app to need permission "to make and manage phone calls", "to access photos, media and files" or "to access the microphone" on my android smartphone.

Location maybe, but the other permissions are out of line.

An AT&T CSR had the nerve to claim that these are "benefits" of the app. When I asked to speak with a supervisor, the CSR hung up.


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## steveymacjr (Feb 21, 2016)

Good lord, if you took the time to read the terms and conditions you would see that you can opt out of the Nielsen ratings. On android go to the App settings, scroll down to "View Legal Terms" read the terms and you will see a section with a link to OPT OUT OF NIELSEN DATA MEASUREMENT! this has to be done within the app.


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## steveymacjr (Feb 21, 2016)

Barry in Conyers said:


> There is no legitimate reason for the DirecTV app to need permission "to make and manage phone calls", "to access photos, media and files" or "to access the microphone" on my android smartphone.
> 
> Location maybe, but the other permissions are out of line.
> 
> An AT&T CSR had the nerve to claim that these are "benefits" of the app. When I asked to speak with a supervisor, the CSR hung up.


There is actually a Legitimate reason the app needs to access your microphone, you can talk to the app to search for shows.
In the play store the app details actually tell you what the app needs, for example, Photos/media/and Files has to do with the SD Card, if your phone has one, you can move the app to the SD card. Making and managing phone calls has to do with network connections, knowing if you have at&t, etc..


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## KyL416 (Nov 11, 2005)

"Location" -- Needed because they can only provide streaming of locals when you are within your market. (For those who don't have Mobile DVR, the Fox, NBC and ABC O&Os are available for streaming as well as those with Hearst owned ABC affiliates). It's also used for regional MLB, NHL and NBA blackouts for channels like ESPN, MLB Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, TBS and TWC Sportsnet.

"Make and Manage Phone Calls" -- It's used so the video will automatically pause when you get a phone call and put the app in a suspended state that will allow it to resume when you end the call. They also now use it to identify if you're an AT&T Wireless subscriber with the right data plan so you can watch it unmetered.

"Microphone" -- Kind of hard to implement the voice search and voice remote functions without access to the Microphone.

"access photos, media and files" -- Needed for the Mobile DVR/Genie Go functions, without it they have no place to put your DVR recordings so you can watch it in offline mode.

You can blame the dumbing down of permissions Google Play introduced a while back for the confusion, before that they were able to be a lot more specific on which things they were actually using. (i.e. before you were able to specify a use SD card for storage permission, now you have to choose the highly misleading permission that makes people think you are accessing their photos, before you were able to specify a Read Phone State permission, now you have to choose the highly misleading permission that makes people think you are making phone calls without their knowledge)

As for Nielsen, like mentioned above you can opt out. Since the opt out is cookie based, it has to be done per app and device. When you click the link on DirecTV.com to go to the Nielsen website to opt out, they flat out say it's only for the current browser and won't apply to your other devices:
http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy#choice


> Please note that because this is a browser-level opt out, *if you use more than one browser, you will need to opt out in each.*
> 
> In the mobile app environment, we require each application that contains active Nielsen measurement software to disclose in the app store's description that Nielsen's software is included in that app, and provide access to a Nielsen opt out. Please note that because this is an app-level and device-specific opt out, *if you have more than one mobile app that contains our software, or if you have the same app on more than one mobile device, you will need to opt out in each.*


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

The new update rarely works on my iphone 6+ so privacy is the least of my concern. scrolling through channels and the app just quits to the springboard. Many things cannot stream. How its made: Dream Cars the Audi R8 episode said failed to find URL. After crashing a few times i finally got Nick JR to stream for my daughter.

I hope ATT & Neison gets all these crash reports and stability issues. I know there are privacy freaks out there, but I always send an error report for Windows or any other platform/program that allows it. I want the companies to see what a steaming pile of turd they created.


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