Ahead of CES, Apple Puts Up Billboard Touting Privacy in Las Vegas

[fairuz]

I wish Apple did more. If they included a VPN built into the OS, run by them it would be pretty cool. It's a shame that if you do care about your privacy you can't really use most web pages and apps. I mean nearly every iOS user uses Instagram, YouTube, Facebook etc. Which kind of makes the whole championing privacy thing a mute point, it's still better than Android, though.

Included VPN run by Apple sounds more like a privacy violation to me. Facebook made a free VPN. All it does is hide your IP address from the site but show it to the VPN owner. Doesn't really help counter website tracking anyway because that all uses cookies.
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Do you use Google to search on Safari? Do you use Siri (powered by Bing)? Do you use ICloud? Have you ever given an App permission to use your camera, to track where you are, or for other things? Are you connected to the internet with your iPhone? Did you ever order something with your iPhone and provided payment data like creditcard numbers etc?

Conclusion: What happens on your iPhone does not stay on your iPhone. It is a hollow advertisement phrase to make you feel cozy.

It is an illusion to believe you have any form of privacy if you interact with the internet on any device (including Apple's).

It's still reasonable to believe the iPhone respects your privacy more than most Android phones. The ad is stupid, though.

 

[zakarhino]

Do you use Google on Safari? Do you use Siri (powered by Bing)? Do you use ICloud? Have you ever given an App permission to use your camera, to track where you are, or for other things? Are you connected to the internet with your iPhone? Did you ever order something with your iPhone and provided payment data like creditcard numbers etc?
Conclusion: What happens on your iPhone does not stay on your iPhone. It is an illusion and naive to believe you have any form of privacy if you interact with the internet with any device (including Apple's).

I don't use any Google products besides YouTube. I don't use Siri. I don't use iCloud services beyond some of the basics (Find My iPhone, etc.). I use ProtonMail for my email. I don't give apps permission to use anything I don't want them to (most apps on my phone don't even have notifications turned on let alone location services). I don't have any social media apps installed (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I don't use any of those). In some cases I will also use a VPN on my phone too, either a VPN I've set up personally or from a well trusted and audited VPN provider that doesn't store any information on their users. I also frequently delete apps that I don't use in order to minimize the risk of spyware apps (remember those weather apps that were selling data?). All of that is just on my phone, with desktop it's a whole other story (Firefox with uMatrix & NoScript, network logging software, etc.).

I think you're taking Apple's marketing line too literally. It's not about "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone", it's about "What you WANT to stay on your iPhone, STAYS on your iPhone". For the most part, I have decent control over what information I want my iPhone to store and what information I want to send to third parties or even Apple's first party services. If I don't want to use Google products, I have the choice. If I don't want to use spyware apps, I have the choice. On Android that choice is barely accessible.

The internet isn't a boogeyman. If you want to improve your privacy, the tools exist to help do so. I'm not completely private on the internet but I DO know where my data is and who owns it (for the most part).

You should listen to what Steve had to say on this. He says it better than the ad, privacy is about choice:

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

I don't use any Google products besides YouTube. I don't use Siri. I don't use iCloud services beyond some of the basics (Find My iPhone, etc.). I use ProtonMail for my email. I don't give apps permission to use anything I don't want them to (most apps on my phone don't even have notifications turned on let alone location services). I don't have any social media apps installed (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I don't use any of those). In some cases I will also use a VPN on my phone too, either a VPN I've set up personally or from a well trusted and audited VPN provider that doesn't store any information on their users. I also frequently delete apps that I don't use in order to minimize the risk of spyware apps (remember those weather apps that were selling data?). All of that is just on my phone, with desktop it's a whole other story (Firefox with uMatrix & NoScript, network logging software, etc.).

I think you're taking Apple's marketing line too literally. It's not about "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone", it's about "What you WANT to stay on your iPhone, STAYS on your iPhone". For the most part, I have decent control over what information I want my iPhone to store and what information I want to send to third parties or even Apple's first party services. If I don't want to use Google products, I have the choice. If I don't want to use spyware apps, I have the choice. On Android that choice is barely accessible.

The internet isn't a boogeyman. If you want to improve your privacy, the tools exist to help do so. I'm not completely private on the internet but I DO know where my data is and who owns it (for the most part).

You should listen to what Steve had to say on this. He says it better than the ad, privacy is about choice:

Well than you are an exception, but the iPhone does not come like that out of the box .
Safari uses Google as default search engine. Google sells your private information. Google paid Apple a lot of money to be the default search engine.
You have to provide information to Apple if you want to use the Apple store or iTunes. Default stuff is synced with iCloud if you don't turn it off.
To do what you did takes some effort. Most people don't do that.

Yes I take Apple's statement literally, because without other context I have to. Your interpretation of their statement is just that: an interpretation.

Also I never said the internet is a Boogeyman. I said when you interact with it you lose your privacy, simply because you have to give information to third parties. Even Steve would agree to that.

So yes: if Apple puts up a billboard with a statement like that, I can conclude it is a hollow meaningless advertisement phrase only to lure people into a false sense of privacy .

 

[I7guy]

Well than you are an exception, but the iPhone does not come like that out of the box .
Safari uses Google as default search engine. Google sells your private information. Google paid Apple a lot of money to be the default search engine.
You have to provide information to Apple if you want to use the Apple store or iTunes. Default stuff is synced with iCloud if you don't turn it off.
To do what you did takes some effort. Most people don't do that.

Yes I take Apple's statement literally, because without other context I have to. Your interpretation of their statement is just that: an interpretation.

Also I never said the internet is a Boogeyman. I said when you interact with it you lose your privacy, simply because you have to give information to third parties. Even Steve would agree to that.

So yes: if Apple puts up a billboard with a statement like that, I can conclude it is a hollow meaningless advertisement phrase only to lure people into a false sense of privacy .

Well he’s not really the exception. I configure my phone as well to my specs and realize the certain convenience trumps absolute security.

As far as google apple is not the gatekeeper to the internet. All they claim is how they keep your data, not that they would block safari from accessing google.

So in the context of how TC has a direction for apples’ Management of your information the ad is not a straw-man.

 

[Tech198]

It's probably good of Apple to do this, They just decided to stick a random sign in Las Vegas which just happens to be close to CES with no reason as why to what it could hint to or even at?

ok.... Perhaps they just wanna make others aware, but they do THAT all the time... No billboard needed.

Apple's privacy policies are awesome, no doubt about it. But the phrasing of that billboard seems to suggest that Apple recommends people look at sketchy stuff on their phones. Not cool!

Sketchy stuff? I guess the point is it never leaves your phone, Apple doesn't really care what you do with it, just as long you understand

 

[falainber]

Instead of trolling CES how about participating in one for a change? Of course then Apple would have to come up with some innovative products... So, for now, trolling it is.

 

[MacBH928]

Apple claims 'What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone'. You know Safari uses Google as default search engine? Since you need four paragraphs to describe what you have to do to make Apple's claim happen I can conclude that Apple's claim is only an advertisement gimmick and has nothing to do with reality (real use). The iPhone certainly does not work that way out of the box.

The only way to accomplish Apple's claim is to have no connection at all with the internet, which renders the device useless.

well, at least its possible on the iphone. Any other Windows or Google based OS device is probably recording every key stroke.

 

[LennyFL]

I think they should add:
Recommended by:
Terrorists
Pedophiles
Drug Dealers

 

[jimi78]

If they aren't going to be there, why the ad? It's like that kid that didn't get invited to the party.

or it's like the grown man in the forum thread trolling the subs
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True... once their nude pics are out there... they're out there forever. That's unfortunate.

But as others have said... iCloud wasn't hacked.

It was a "very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions"

In other words... the bad guys opened the same door that the celebrities use... using their stolen credentials.

That's not the same as "hacking" Apple's servers.

Think of it this way: if I was to somehow acquire your MacRumors password... by an email phishing scam or simply guessing... and I login as you and post a bunch of crap under your name... did I "hack" MacRumors?

No... I "hacked" your user account.

There is a difference.

Please explain this to the number of peons who pick up their friends phone and take a bunch of selfies and post on their FB/IG and claim they have been hacked. I really hate how the word "hack/hacking/hacker" has just been thrown around all willy nilly the last few years. Are we going to start calling "shortcuts", "travel hacks"???? smh

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Please buy our phones before we have to resort to selling your data. It is a little bit silly when the iPhone is full of apps that track data. I tried to switch to Apple maps because I am annoyed with Google. That's not going to happen.

 

[stylinexpat]

Apple Store in Vegas is getting a boost from Chinese visitors at CES.

 

[Gravydog316]

The point is there are several examples of what happens on peoples iPhones not staying on their iPhones.

The Uber situation is one example , there was also a weather app sending back user location data even when the user had location sharing switched off and then there is your call/message history from iMessage and FaceTime being sent back to Apple.

This is Apple doing what Apple do best, Marketing.

(I was joking haha)
(you're supposed to believe marketing.)
(That's what it for, you anarchist)

 

[Mars56]

A lot of celebrities will disagree from iCloud breach that leaked their private nude pics all over the internet. It's the breach that keeps on giving because no amount of effort or money spent on lawyers will ever clean them from the internet.

Or, if you live in China where Apple relocated user data and gave full unfettered access to the police state. Even Google haven't stooped to that low.

Nice fear mongering FUD though.

That was social engineering, not an apple issue. You might want to educate yourself on security issues.

 

[sofila]

This is why I can't and won't switch to Android. I care about my privacy.

FaceTime Bug That Lets People Spy on Others Demoed in Video

 

[KadMac]

FaceTime Bug That Lets People Spy on Others Demoed in Video

Yep, I saw that. Definitely disappointed but I am glad that Apple turned the whole feature off quickly while they fix it. Even with this debacle, I still feel safer with Apple than Google. Who is leading the charge for privacy protection? Apple. Where is Google on this?

I will provide another example - where is Google on message? The default option is to send texts via SMS. I think they recently tried to address this with their messages app from what I hear so that is a step in the right direction. That said, the texts aren't automatically encrypted between devices. At least, iPhone to iPhone, my messages are automatically encrypted with iMessage. Android requires a third party app and a lot of international folks talk about WeChat. Well no thanks.

WeChat is owned by Facebook and I've seen how much they care about privacy. Yes, Apple isn't perfect and I still have concerns with them but I think they are the best out of the bunch. Listen to Steve Jobs talk about privacy at any of the old tech interviews. He passed that attitude on to his company. Tim Cook also carries that same attitude.

 

[sofila]

Pretty fair. My point is that Apple now needs to advertise on this, while not so long ago this kind of things was supposedly a given fact. And with social media so widespread it is very easy to expose yourself to public ridicule.

Yep, I saw that. Definitely disappointed but I am glad that Apple turned the whole feature off quickly while they fix it. Even with this debacle, I still feel safer with Apple than Google. Who is leading the charge for privacy protection? Apple. Where is Google on this?

I will provide another example - where is Google on message? The default option is to send texts via SMS. I think they recently tried to address this with their messages app from what I hear so that is a step in the right direction. That said, the texts aren't automatically encrypted between devices. At least, iPhone to iPhone, my messages are automatically encrypted with iMessage. Android requires a third party app and a lot of international folks talk about WeChat. Well no thanks.

WeChat is owned by Facebook and I've seen how much they care about privacy. Yes, Apple isn't perfect and I still have concerns with them but I think they are the best out of the bunch. Listen to Steve Jobs talk about privacy at any of the old tech interviews. He passed that attitude on to his company. Tim Cook also carries that same attitude.

that

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

'What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone' is getting a bit stale:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...d-your-screen-for-analytics-purposes.2168767/

It seems pride comes before a fall.

 

[I7guy]

'What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone' is getting a bit stale:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...d-your-screen-for-analytics-purposes.2168767/

It seems pride comes before a fall.

Before this even went up Facebook proved it wasn’t true. Without banning Facebook there not much apple can do. But on the whole I still agree with it.