Apple Updates Privacy Site to Explain How It Handles Personal Information

[MacRumors]

Apple today updated the privacy section of its website with a noticeable expansion that CEO Tim Cook said is aimed at explaining how the company handles each user's personal information, "what we do and don't collect," and why that is. In an introduction letter for the new site expansion, Cook stated that Apple has always been upfront and honest with the sharing and distribution of a user's data, only doing so when they were well aware of each time it happens. He, and the company, hopes this site continues to reassure customers of Apple's trustworthiness.

We believe in telling you up front exactly what's going to happen to your personal information and asking for your permission before you share it with us. And if you change your mind later, we make it easy to stop sharing with us. Every Apple product is designed around those principles. When we do ask to use your data, it's to provide you with a better user experience.

We're publishing this website to explain how we handle your personal information, what we do and don't collect, and why. We're going to make sure you get updates here about privacy at Apple at least once a year and whenever there are significant changes to our policies.

The website is segmented into four different tabs, the first being "Our Approach to Privacy," detailing the process Apple takes in building privacy and encryption into everything it makes, including apps like iMessage and services like Apple Pay. "Manage Your Privacy" reminds users of the suite of tools Apple has created to ensure their own security when using an Apple device, thanks to features like Touch ID and passcode lock. The page even goes so far as to instruct customers in the steps of being aware of a phishing scam and how to limit ad-tracking on your iPhone.

In the "Government Information Requests" portion of the updated website, the company ensures that when a government agency requests data to be revealed to them from an Apple device, they "require that it be accompanied by the appropriate legal documents such as a subpoena or search warrant." The company also promises it's never worked with a government agency to install a "backdoor" into one of its devices or apps, nor has it allowed government access to its servers, stating finally that it "never will."

The final section is simply Apple's updated Privacy Policy, which the company promises to update at least once a year, or "whenever there are significant changes to our policies."

Article Link: Apple Updates Privacy Site to Explain How It Handles Personal Information

 

[levitynyc]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

 

[vertsix]

Maybe Apple's not collecting and/or distributing our data maliciously, but government agencies are, and maybe not in accordance with Apple policy.

But I commend Apple for being straightforward. I trust them way more than Google at least.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

As personal privacy becomes a bigger issue for many, it's nice to see some outlining their policies.

 

[darcyf]

So far Apple haven't shown any signs of personal information abuse. They make their money (and a heck of a lot of it) off of selling you products. And while there is money to be made in selling others the product that is you, I don't think it's enough money to tempt them to jeopardize the relationship of trust they are trying to maintain with their customers.

The time may come when that will change. But for now, I feel that my personal information is secure with Apple.

 

[mijail]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

Yep, better just don't do anything that anyone ever would consider remotely inappropriate.

Long live the ... whoever is in the government, now or forever!

 

[oneMadRssn]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

That's cowardly and unamerican: being happy to see a fundamental right erode into nothing. I assume that things I do in private stay private, and I do something to mitigate or change the situation when it turns out my understanding was wrong.

 

[Jimmy James]

 

[H2SO4]

" The company also promises it's never worked with a government agency to install a "backdoor" into one of its devices or apps, nor has it allowed government access to its servers, stating finally that it "never will."

Except when the government tells you that you MUST comply and will stay quiet about the fact too?

 

[anyjungleinguy]

The U.K. site was updated with this quite a long time ago.

 

[unplugme71]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

Exactly. The Internet is the least of my worries now. So many homes, businesses, traffic lights, pathways, etc have cameras filming every action outside, sometimes even audio. Every purchase you make with a rewards or credit card tracks your location and much more.

I understand nothing is private and I'm more careful of the actions I take or choose to be around. As long as you remain vigilant and follow the flow of society, you are just clutter. It's when you publicly stand out that you become a target for attention.

 

[John Mcgregor]

Allegedly.

 

[KALLT]

There are still a lot of things that they could do in this field. For instance, let users remove their Apple IDs and their personal information when they abandon their Apple product(s) (compare this with Google or Microsoft), let users download a copy of their data Apple has on their servers (Google does this), support OpenVPN and OpenPGP natively, let users see a list of their saved Wi-Fi networks on iOS (to avoid sniffing), improve cookie management (e.g. let users delete cookies from websites that have not been visited in X days, some websites store cookies with a huge lifespan), add a permission dialog when an app wants to access iCloud Drive (many games do this and it’s annoying). I could go on, but these are the things I wish Apple would do eventually.

 

[scaredpoet]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

That's not a happy way to live at all. Rolling over and assuming no one has privacy is a horrible way to live. It makes us no better than North Korea, frankly. And unless people continue to tell their governments that this is not OK, we will all get exactly what we deserve.

 

[macduke]

I pretty much go on the assumption that nothing I do is private anymore.

I lead a much happier life that way.

It is precisely this mindset that has gotten us into this mess. No thank you. We do not live in a utopian fantasy land. There are real people out there, right now, who would force their will and beliefs on you if they could. They would round up people with dissenting political, religious, or sexual opinions. These technological tools give them the power to find those who oppose them and limit their free speech, or worse—threaten their friends and family.

History has shown that this happens time and time again when too much power is given. That is why the forefathers of the United States had taken such great care in putting many limits on government powers. The checks and balances. It is not a balanced approach to continually monitor the every action of citizens who have done nothing wrong. However, it does enable corrupt leaders to effectively operate. Will this happen overnight? No. These things rarely do. It is the slow slide into oblivion that tricks most people into thinking everything is fine, and we've been sliding for at least 12-14 years—perhaps longer. You may be happy now, but that happiness is foolish and fleeting.

 

[Gymgenius]

That's not a happy way to live at all. Rolling over and assuming no one has privacy is a horrible way to live. It makes us no better than North Korea, frankly. And unless people continue to tell their governments that this is not OK, we will all get exactly what we deserve.

This x 1,000,000

 

[nagromme]

Except when the government tells you that you MUST comply and will stay quiet about the fact too?

Statements like "we have never" are important as canaries: if the government ever abused its position enough to make something happen, and if Apple were unable to fight it, they could remove that statement—then the "canary in the coal mine" would be dead, and Apple would have indirectly let the public know that they are secretly fighting something the "law" has forbidden them from mentioning directly.

 

[jdillings]

Apple's not collecting and selling my personal information to advertisers? I'm switching to Android.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Just be careful what you do.

 

[macs4nw]

And that my friends, is one of the reasons why I believe Apple is held in such high esteem. After all, the best hardware, software, features and gimmicks are of little value if the company you're dealing with is untrustworthy.

 

[macs4nw]

.....I trust them way more than Google at least.

In spite of a lot of good Google products and services, agreed, regrettably so.

 

[69Mustang]

I trust Apple about as much as I trust Google, Microsoft, or any other company. Which is to say, depending on the circumstance, not that much. Other times I don't care that much. I have information I've crafted specifically to be shared. All of them use aggregated data for advertising so you can never escape that. None of them sell personal data (that I know of).

For those concerned, I'd recommend reading the privacy policy of the company that concerns you. Skip the company marketing bits from the spokespeople and read the actual policy.

 

[Edgar Spayce]

Never trust Apple, until Windows 10 they were the most advance in secretly monitoring your activities, keystrokes and documents.

If you read between the line and now about what happened with the NSA spying, you know exactly how to read between the lines, including on their warning page. The semantic is carefully selected but it means what it means.

 

[kyleh22]

Apple says 0.00673% of customers have been affected by government information requests. There are an estimated 250m icloud accounts = 16,825 accounts impacted.

 

[gnasher729]

Except when the government tells you that you MUST comply and will stay quiet about the fact too?

There are laws that could Apple require to be quiet. There is no law that could force Apple to lie. (And plenty of laws that would make it illegal to lie).