I think the indicators are a nice, subtle way to show that something is happening that you might want to pay attention to without interrupting what you’re doing, but the personal safety benefit feels overblown.
If we accept the hypothetical that a former abusive spouse can install monitoring software that evades the audio/video indicators and acknowledge the initial first launch permissions prompt, we’re assuming that they have full administrator access to the physical Mac, at which point all bets are off.
I’d argue that my suggestion of a several-day-later prompt (on a random schedule, so the miscreant can’t know when it will reappear) is a far better and more effective way of addressing this scenario than a monthly prompt.
I’ve been thinking about this myself. I’d like to see a “privacy review” panel in System Settings that pulls all this stuff together in one place, and instead of individual apps nagging you, have a single notification that reads “Take a few minutes to review your privacy settings.”
Yes, that would be nice, however IIRC an objection to this is that these requests are modal and synchronous: the app can’t continue unless you make your decision one way or the other. So the UX wouldn’t be terrific, even if the permission were simply denied by default, at the very least you’d need to restart affected apps, for instance. I’m not sure how Apple changes this without changing the APIs for requesting access, so even more adjustment and dev frustration.
I work with users requiring a range of Accessibility issues.
The lack of as much as a glossary extends the DYSUTILITY of the whole process.
Being asked for an access/identity constantly, often ending in a lock out and or reset of a password, with poor transparent and even identifiable connection to a location and definition of what has been addressed or changed, is common.
It results in a risk of literal EXCOMMUNICATION, a risk that correlates with the current level of computer literacy, an Accessibility issue.
Add this to the feature creep that adds complexity that benefits only a small percentage of users.
This is a problem across all software, understandably, but add in the wanton marketing to “make it feel fresh” that seems to be an added layer and one ADDS unfamiliarity that make identification of changes representing security issues approach the impossible for even very computer literate users.
When one excommunicates, locks out, users, feedback is reified, absent from those whom it fails.
In the past I worked trying to connect older users.
Now I work trying to disconnect them from threatening complexity, confusion and increasing risk.
The process seems to be trying to expand universal use by exclusion rather than inclusion, merely changing the definition of who is included.
Could an app could receive some form of a security certification from Apple, where requested accesses were noted and catalogued. The OS could validate that certificate, ask the user once and that’s a form of double check. Let Apple’s team do the work in checking through what these apps actually do, rather than users getting increasingly numb or frustrated depending.
If an app doesn’t have such a certification then maybe once a month…
I often use my Mac 14–16 hours daily, and have been doing so for several decades.
I was TERRIBLY annoyed when the public beta began nagging me about these permission prompts, spent hours on the net — and was glad to see that I was not the only one
Then it switched from <perceived> daily or every two days to weekly, still horrible.
And when I read now that it’s probably going to be once per month, I find that … oh well, I can live with that. I have perhaps a dozen apps in that section of the security prefs, and some I actually use many times daily are …
two screenshot apps: CleanShot X and Shottr
Default Folder
Ice (a nice substitute for BarTender)
plus a few I use much rarer, not even monthly
and once I find the courage to learn Keyboard Maestro that one will be turned on also.
Maybe it’s just the effect of a little pain feeling almost like a relief after having hurt a LOT before …
BUT …
I really think that being asked once per month would be totally acceptable for me, for the overall benefit of feeling a little more secure — like, perhaps, reminding me to check whether Default Folder is still owned by Jon Gotow or something …?
Having thought about this a little more, here’s another possibility: launch apps in a “permission denied” mode, but accumulate a queue of apps requiring permissions. After the queue stabilizes (no new additions for N minutes), pop up a “review your privacy permissions” reminder and show a Privacy Review panel.
