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this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2025
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Technology
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Bro...my weather app is selling my data? π¦
I just wanted up-to-date travel conditions in a convenient widget. My taxes already pay for the meteorology, why do they need to sell my data too??
Yeah, but it got privatized, so now you need to pay more money to a 3rd party to access the services you are already paying money to access.
And pay a 4th party to go around removing you from data broker lists, is the expectation
Yeah. That's an exercise in futility. You can't get that data back under wraps. The only solution is to obfuscate your data with noise.
Because greed.
And useful idiots like /u/alaknar.
Show me one weather app that's state-sponsored (therefore: paid by taxes) that sells data to boost income.
Nearly every weather app that exists is repackaging data from an official, tax funded source. Apps using weather underground data possibly being the only exception.
Show me one that doesn't want location permissions and such. So now they've got Your data and can do as they please with it.
To be fair, a weather app does need to know my location to give relevant information.
No it doesnβt.
It just needs to know what cities you care about.
Absolutely. Just don't do anything shady with that information. I think that's all anyone's asking.
The weather source. Not the application source. A dude needs to sit down and write that part.
Sure, and it would be cool if that dude didn't pass my personal information to a third party.
Breezy Weather
Not affiliated, just discovered this amazing app relatively recently.
I think the last time I tried a bunch it came down to Breezy and Cirrus. I think they're pretty similar but I settled on Cirrus for whatever reason. Here's a link for anyone interested.
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.woheller69.omweather
Aaaand we circle back to THIS.
You're having an argument with a voice in your head or something. I'm just going to tag you and go about my morning. Good luck with whatever it is you're dealing with.
I almost forgot this is Technology, where the most insane tech views are the norm...
Plenty of FOSS weather apps out there that don't sell your data. I like Breezy Weather
If you want the weather info sponsored by your taxes, use the browser.
If you want a convenient widget, someone needs to make it, and the developer who made that widget needs to eat too.
You can either buy an app or pay with your data.
He can eat without selling people's data.
This isn't about putting food on the table and you're a dipshit if you believe otherwise.
Yes. By making your app paid, not free. 90% of Apple Store/Google Play store users don't want to pay for apps with their money.
You're childishly naive if you think it's malice 100% of the way top to bottom.
No, by doing something else with his life because developing an app is not an all-encompassing behavior.
No, I'm just not a useful idiot going to bat for people making money off of me.
I, personally, have made significantly more complicated apps than what you're defending and I don't charge money for it or harvest my user's data. I'm also not alone.
If we can do it, why can't this scumbag? Oh yeah, because he has useful idiots like you going to bat for him.
Please, tell me more about how ignorant and innocent you are. It's cute and predictable.
Buddy, are you suggesting that software developers should "do something else to earn money"?
Are you high right now?
Go ahead. Quote the bit where anyone in this thread is batting for anybody.
I'm becoming fairly certain that you are high. What exactly am I defending....?
We can't have a discussion if you don't understand some simple facts of life. Such as: "people need to eat", or "eating costs money", or "not everybody has the privilege of being a software developer as a side-gig", or "not everybody wants or can be a farmer".
Get sober, then read what you wrote again.
Selling an app for a buck is profitable, if a good app.
Yeah, morons like you will fight tooth and nail to avoid admitting you're being taken for a ride.
It's in your blood and I don't expect more.
Keep being stupid.
You're desperately trying to spit on me, but forgetting we're both behind computer screens. Get sober. Don't spit on your computer.
I'm telling you what your father should have.
No this implies you get a choice, which you don't. You can get it for free and sell your data, or you can pay for it...and still also sell your data. The real money is in the data, they won't give that up...ever.
Can you use an open source weather app, or is the problem deeper than that?
Many phones come with a weather app you can neither uninstall nor disable.
you can deny location position to your weather app. show the weather for cities you are interested in. Get weather by notifications for "seemlessness"
Yeah, I was just curious if the app could harvest it anyway via the SDK or something.
the weather app can't. Your cell provider can without any phone permissions. Google/Apple secretly could as well. These companies love your government more than they love you.
They just love whoever pays the most. And they cheat on everyone while getting paychecks from all directions.
I'm not the person who posted the widget issue, but IME many FOSS solutions (not just weather-related) are more often than not aesthetically/UX crap.
Breezy Weather
Yeah, that's true. Often people will take the money from users AND from selling data. But you can (usually) verify if that's the case by checking the app's permissions required.
The point stands, however: you either pay for the software with money, or with data - with the only exception being the unusually rare FOSS project here and there, which either lives in relative obscurity or grows to become large enough for the creators to either start requiring money, or just fold under the load...
If my taxes can pay to develop a website, they can pay to develop a widget.
Then talk to your government, get them to make the app, not just the website. Go you!
Breezy Weather
Thank you! This was what I was hoping someone would suggest.