>>985354

>The people in someone's address book did not click the button to allow their info to be collected. Only the person using the app does that. So that function should not even exist in the API.

API's don't work like that.

Just like a gun, they are only dangerous if used badly.

Example A user manually clicking on their address book to select a user to share with one of their friends would use the same API functions that the scrapng code they would use to get the same information that was scraped.

>>985507

Yes they are. The topic was banning the API's though. I regard that as exactly the same thing as banning guns. Prohibition is proven to not work. We've got over a century of proof of that now.

>>985582

>And you would allow a function in the API that scrapes entire address books?

DUH. API's do not fucking work like that. They are 'functions not entire scripts or apps, for that matter.

The scraping code makes use of API's, which would mean that it happens outside of the API, at least if the programmers were worth anything at all.

The only way for this debate to end, would be to make the entire API public information, which is easily doable. All the big software houses use API's as a matter of course.

>>985686

> google does it so it must be the way it's done by everyone!

No, it isn't. Here, have some definitions of API. Bolding is mine:

"In computer programming, an application programming interface is a set of subroutine definitions, and tools for building application software. In general terms, it is a set of clearly defined methods of communication between various software components. A good API makes it easier to develop a computer program by providing all the building blocks, which are then put together by the programmer."

https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_programming_interface

"a set of rules that allows programmers to develop software for a particular operating system without having to be completely familiar with that operating system "

https:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/application%20programming%20interface

You're welcome.

>>985844

>The problem is with what is allowed to be transmitted.

Yes. That's not an API problem, either.

It's programmers using the API's illegally that is the problem.

Just switch the word "API" for "gun" and we could have the same exact debate in a more heated way :)

>>985950

I agree with this. Stuff that happens outside the scope of an API's stated functions (especially in the cases of a publicly documented API) is a reg flag, for sure.

Apple is known to have been very strict in the Jobs era about the usage of their API's, especially in mobile apps, as an example.

I don't know if that got lax under Cook or not. Facebook is on the app store so I'd say all bets are off, now.