Tim Cook Highlights Apple's iOS 15 Privacy Protections in New Video for European Audiences

[MacRumors]

Apple has published a new video to its official regional YouTube channels for European countries that focuses specifically on the new privacy features coming with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

The video, simply titled "Privacy," opens with CEO Tim Cook speaking to the camera and explaining Apple's long-standing stance on the topic:

At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. We work relentlessly to build it into everything we make, and it's fundamental to how we design and engineer every product and service that we put out into the world.

While others have focused on making customers the product, collecting ever-growing amounts of personal information, we've kept the lens focused on how technology can work for people. And that's meant introducing countless features that give users transparency and choice over how their data is collected, used, and shared. You see that with new tools like Privacy Nutrition Labels and App Tracking Transparency, which gives users more information, more choice, and greater transparency about how their data is used.

We know that privacy is a priority for our users in Europe and around the world. It's why we're always striving to set a higher bar, with new tools that put people in the driver's seat when it comes to managing your own data.

The video then cuts to segments taken from last week's WWDC keynote, where Apple executives and engineers explain new features including Mail Privacy Protection, App Privacy Report, Offline Siri support, and more. Cook then sees out the video with the following comments:

These big privacy features are the latest in a long string of innovations our teams have developed to improve transparency and put users in control of their data. They're features that will help give users peace of mind by strengthening that control and the freedom to use their technology without worrying about who is looking over their shoulder. At Apple, our commitment is to give users choice over how their data is used and to build privacy and security into everything we make.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are currently in developer beta, with a public beta coming next month and the official version set to release in the fall.



Article Link: Tim Cook Highlights Apple's iOS 15 Privacy Protections in New Video for European Audiences

 

[Serban55]

Sundar Pichai and Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, your turn now

 

[Homme]

And yet I love how they extended iOS/iPadOS 15’s Privacy to older devices like the Air 2 and Mini 4😁

 

[Apple_Robert]

Will all these new features be available on release, or will we have to wait for some? I haven't heard that mentioned.

 

[sinoka56]

Stop accepting money from Google and stop responding to subpoenas then I'll believe that Apple somehow defends your privacy.

 

[Ubuntu]

Ever since the App Store trials I’ve taken Tim Cook a lot less seriously. I believe he’s genuinely a decent person but I no longer buy his “we’re looking out for you!” approach, especially when it comes to privacy, which is often something you can't argue against. Apple was smart to focus on privacy but now they market it so much and use it as a defence for many actions that don't have the consumer's best interests at heart.

 

[Hammerd]

Please encrypt icloud backups and iMessage from end to end !
While your phone content can be accessed without your will, the privacy perception is just an illusion

 

[Kung gu]

Stop accepting money from Google and stop responding to subpoenas then I'll believe that Apple somehow defends your privacy.

Umm the Google part I agree with but Apple HAS TO respond to subpoenas especially those straight from the DoJ.

 

[Feyl]

The more they talk about privacy the more I don't believe them. I mean if you look at activists, movements, etc. it always backfires on them. I mean, we've seen it a few times for example with Siri and how they days later added a button to disable sending voice recordings to Apple. And because Apple's software is not opensource nobody outside the company can check if Apple really is what they say they are. Anyway, I'd be cautious with your trust to this company.

 

[sinoka56]

Umm the Google part I agree with but Apple HAS TO respond to subpoenas especially those straight from the DoJ.

If they start end to end ecrypting data using user provided keys then they can tell DOJ they don't have unencrypted data to provide.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Please encrypt icloud backups and iMessage from end to end !
While your phone content can be accessed without your will, the privacy perception is just an illusion

iCloud backups for your phone or iPad are encrypted in the cloud. The problem is Apple has the key for those backups and can unlock them when they have to. If you want peace of mind, create a Cryptomator folder in iCloud, and move your backups to that folder. Apple won't be able to access anything in that folder much less see file names etc. When you want to use the backup, you would have to download it to your Mac and decrypt.

As to iMessage, turn off messages in the cloud. Apple also holds the access key for your messages with the feature enabled.

Edited to add: Thumbs down all you want, Sinoka. What I said is true. If you want to show I am wrong, have at it.

 

[ArPe]

Tim Apple please tell users who is buying the data, where the data is being gathered on the dark nets and then millions of people will take direct action against this mafia.

 

[sinoka56]

iCloud backups for your phone or iPad are encrypted in the cloud. The problem is Apple has the key for those backups and can unlock them when they have to. If you want peace of mind, create a Cryptomator folder in iCloud, and move your backups to that folder. Apple won't be able to access anything in that folder much less see file names etc. When you want to use the backup, you would have to download it to your Mac and decrypt.

As to iMessage, turn off messages in the cloud. Apple also holds the access key for your messages with the feature enabled.

Edited to add: Thumbs down all you want, Sinoka. What I said is true. If you want to show I am wrong, have at it.

Normal users don't know Apple can decrypt their cloud data while Apple is saying they "protect your privacy".

 

[Apple_Robert]

Normal users don't know Apple can decrypt their cloud data while Apple is saying they "protect your privacy".

As for normal users not knowing Apple can decrypt, you are probably right. Apple nerds like us know that kind of stuff.

Apple does protect privacy against bad actors, which can be thieves and hackers. I think encryption should be end to end no matter what. However, my previous post was merely answering two questions and showing how to keep safe in the cloud. People need to know how to protect themselves.

 

[Whathappened]

Ever since the App Store trials I’ve taken Tim Cook a lot less seriously. I believe he’s genuinely a decent person but I no longer buy his “we’re looking out for you!” approach, especially when it comes to privacy, which is often something you can't argue against. Apple was smart to focus on privacy but now they market it so much and use it as a defence for many actions that don't have the consumer's best interests at heart.

Oh, really? First time you noticed that in capitalism there is no room for the consumer’s best interest?

 

[Apple_Robert]

If they start end to end ecrypting data using user provided keys then they can tell DOJ they don't have unencrypted data to provide.

The iCloud needs to be like Sync.com Nobody but you has access. If you lose your password and don't have email reset ability, which one shouldn't use to begin with, your data is gone forever. All sync can do is delete the data and account and allow you to create a new account.

 

[cyanite]

As to iMessage, turn off messages in the cloud. Apple also holds the access key for your messages with the feature enabled.

Edited to add: Thumbs down all you want, Sinoka. What I said is true. If you want to show I am wrong, have at it.

Well, it's not true . Apple doesn't hold a key to iMessage in the cloud, but if you have iCloud backup enabled, a copy of the key is stored in the backup which Apple does have access to. So if you don't use iCloud backup, iMessage in the cloud is end-2-end. Source: Apple platform security whitepaper and the website resources on that topic in general.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Well, it's not true . Apple doesn't hold a key to iMessage in the cloud, but if you have iCloud backup enabled, a copy of the key is stored in the backup which Apple does have access to. So if you don't use iCloud backup, iMessage in the cloud is end-2-end. Source: Apple platform security whitepaper and the website resources on that topic in general.

The Apple key is attached to the backup, if one uses those services mentioned. That is how they can unlock for certain requests. That is why it is not a good idea to enable those features, in my opinion.

 

[cyanite]

The Apple key is attached to the backup, if one uses those services mentioned. That is how they can unlock for certain requests. That is why it is not a good idea to enable those features, in my opinion.

Yeah, that's what I wrote: A copy of the key is included in the iCloud backup. But if you don't use that, no copy of the key is kept where Apple can read it, and it will be encrypted and wrapped with your device password.

TL;DR: You don't have to turn off iMessage in the cloud, if you have turned off iCloud backup. Messages will be end to end encrypted.

 

[duanepatrick]

Why is EU special?

 

[bbplayer5]

If they start end to end ecrypting data using user provided keys then they can tell DOJ they don't have unencrypted data to provide.

And encryption will be outlawed the next day by a bunch of morons that don’t understand why its important.

 

[Freida]

what happens if I use VPN? Which 'encryption' happens first? Will the data get encrypted first and then it goes to the VPN server or it goes straight to VPN server and I lose on these private relay etc.?
Ideally, I would love to get data encrypted before it goes to VPN so that way even the VPN can't know.

Anyone knows, please?

 

[I7guy]

Stop accepting money from Google and stop responding to subpoenas then I'll believe that Apple somehow defends your privacy.

Why? Does a fee change the Internet protocols? And actually one can believe what they want. Glad Apple marches to the beat of their own drum and doesn’t take requirements from MR.

 

[Apple_Robert]

what happens if I use VPN? Which 'encryption' happens first? Will the data get encrypted first and then it goes to the VPN server or it goes straight to VPN server and I lose on these private relay etc.?
Ideally, I would love to get data encrypted before it goes to VPN so that way even the VPN can't know.

Anyone knows, please?

If you want to mask general home country etc., the relay will not do that, whereas a VPN will. With the relay, traffic is encrypted at two different places so that no one else can see the places you are accessing. I don't believe the relay is meant to replace a VPN. And to my knowledge, Cloudfare does not work with alll VPNs at the same time, unless something has changed recently.

If I am in error on a point, someone please correct me.

 

[Minerbot360]

Apple isn’t perfect, and yes, their privacy focused ads are kinda pushing the bs boundary, but if you look at the other option, Android, you can see that iOS is really quite good with privacy. Thumbs down all you want people.