Tim Cook on Health Records Privacy: 'People Will Look at This and Feel That They Can Trust Apple'

[Greymacuser]

That patronizing thing that people like you do is so lame. You know, where you use the child version of someone’s name who you despise by adding a Y at the end. It sounds so bitter and pathetic.

Says the guy with the GI Joe toy figure name.

 

[swingerofbirch]

You can export your data to a zip file.



With regard to the export function, 20GBs is a massive file to manipulate. Any computer would have issues handling files that size and I wouldn't be surprised if it was outside of the Health App's parameters.

Have you tried third party apps to explore your data? A quick search gave me QS Access. You can email the developer and see if they can handle very large files.

I've asked Apple's engineers and they say there should be no file size restriction. I've turned off auto-sleep on the phone and let it go overnight and there are no error messages. It eventually does export a zip file. It's just that there's nothing in it and the export files is just 20 bytes big or so. I'm not even sure if the 20 GB is because it's that much data or if the Health app is storing it in some strange way that is mis-reporting it. There's a lot of data, but since it's just numbers I don't believe it should be 20 GB.

If Apple let you access it via a computer via USB and could transfer it that way maybe it would work better.

I can try QS Access, but I'm guessing since it will have to read the same data set it will run into the same problems. When I go to look at my pulse, for example, that was recorded from a pulse oximeter in the Health app it will eventually populate, but it will take 10 minutes or show for the most recent readings to show up and then if I scroll another 10 minutes or so. I think that maybe the storage on the phone isn't fast enough to handle a database like this or the software is written badly. I've been collecting health data for many years, and I'm not sure why Apple thinks the best solution is to start over when you get a new iPhone. I originally started collecting Health data on my iPhone 5s and set up my iPhone 7 from an iPhone 5s backup and it's all accumulated over time. But there's just no good exit strategy. The only way I can actually back it up is to do an iTunes backup of the entire phone, but then the Health data is trapped there unless I restore from that backup again. Meanwhile I've had a FitBit for approximately the same amount of time and it doesn't interact with the Health app at all, but I have never had any of the problems I've had with the Health app with the FitBit app. I can log onto fitbit.com or onto the FitBit app and all my data is right there going back for years. I don't have to save it or worry about it. I can even delete the entire app, reinstall it, sign in, and my data is right there. The FitBit app accesses data that is years old, just like the Health app, but it's not unusably slow like the Health app is. And I have this issue on both my iPhone 5s and iPhone 7. Neither can export successfully, even though the iPhone 5s has much less Health data. In fact, I tried on my dad's phone who has almost no Health data and exported it, and the resulting zip file was corrupted.

 

[AppleScruff1]

A lot of these other tech companies make no effort to pretend they care about your privacy.

Kudos to Apple for pretending.

 

[djlythium]

Say it with me:

THANK YOU, APPLE!

 

[Napalm Doctor]

He is totally right as long as you dont install or use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp,Any services from Google, Microsoft, (insert favourite social media app) and, oh yeah, any Amazon Services or any of those so called private devices.

At least he tries tries I guess...

 

[GuruZac]

They also give you, the user, the ability to change the default search engine. Google is the most widely used search engine by far. It makes sense to have it as the default. You can adjust this at any time.

Exactly, and Apple, as far as I know, is the only company that allows the user to select DuckDuckGo as the default search engine, which, to my knowledge, is the best at privacy and not tracking.

Speaking of, I just opened DuckDuckGo on my phone and saw this:

 

[DoctorTech]

Although I don’t agree with Apple’s inflation with their pricing across the product line, Tim Cook discussion privacy is equally important to the consumer, because they need to know Apples stance in a world of where data infiltration happens quite frequently. You can disagree all you want, but I commend Tim Cook for his efforts assuring consumers data is protected.

I agree 100%. Privacy, innovation and price increases are different topics. Of the 3, privacy is the most important to me and Apple is the only tech company I really trust. They make a mistake now and then but as you pointed out, they are the only ones even making an honest effort to protect user privacy.

 

[GuruZac]

Immediately followed by that time of the week for haters to lob snarky comments about him.

It really is getting old. These forums are infested with cynicism. There is literally nothing Apple can do right, other than charge less for their products than everyone else, and even then, they’d be accused of falling behind hardware wise. I’m actually puzzled why this website has so many active cynics.

 

[Baymowe335]

No one cares about ultra-privacy other than a couple dozen people here.

Totally inaccurate.
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Resort to fear mongering when your product is falling behind.

You have got to be kidding me. Apple just wrapped up a year with $166,000,000,000 in sales on a single product, the iPhone.

They have the best facial recognition, the best OS, THE best silicon, best mobile payment system, among leaders in mobile photography, beautifully accurate displays, and industry best security/privacy.

Tel me more about how other products are so much better.

And BTW, privacy IS a concern and Apple should talk MORE about it. It’s a joke how much money companies like Google and Facebook make from selling and collecting personal information.

 

[partsofspeech]

Except in China. Why has iCould China been handed over to a state-run company? For the money, by the double standard.

 

[macfacts]

Apple customers are not the product? Flat out lie since they accept $9billion/yr from google to be the default search engine in safari.

If apple really cared, they would give that money back to Google and have a pop up dialog box asking the user for the default search engine to use.

 

[spinedoc77]

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/facebook-google-in-crosshairs-of-new-ftc-competition-task-force

Man, it's almost daily that I see a new article or debacle involving privacy and Google (among others). Besides the fact that Google makes the majority of its money on YOUR information, do you really trust these privacy clowns with that information? Apple may make mistakes and I can deal with an honest mistake, but at least it's not their business model.

It just feels like everyone in society just gave up, as if giving up all your privacy doesn't matter anymore. I hate to sound like the tin foil hat guy, but we are going to regret this someday.

 

[cmaier]

Apple customers are not the product? Flat out lie since they accept $9billion/yr from google to be the default search engine in safari.

If apple really cared, they would give that money back to Google and have a pop up dialog box asking the user for the default search engine to use.

Oh, yay. More dialogs when you turn on a fresh device!

Give us a break. It’s trivial to change your search engine. Save your disdain for google and facebook.

 

[BGPL]

Seriously, I can absolutely trust Apple with my data.

Just not with pricing mediocre products reasonably.

Tim, how's that charging mat coming along?

 

[jeremiah256]

When I go to look at my pulse, for example, that was recorded from a pulse oximeter in the Health app it will eventually populate, but it will take 10 minutes or show for the most recent readings to show up and then if I scroll another 10 minutes or so.

Yeah, it sounds like the Health App has the data (or it would not populate), but regardless of what the engineers say, it is choking on the 20GBs of data.

Trouble-shooting:
My Health App is listed in settings at about 285MBs (so approximately 1.5% of what you're showing) of data. I did an export as a zip file into a folder and it took 10-15 minutes. The zip file is about 32MBs. When unzipped, I had two XML files, one 184MBs, the other 537MBs (and I have no idea why). Apps on my phone didn't want to open the smaller 184MB XML file, so I had to try and open it on a traditional computer. Even Excel on my laptop did not like loading it, but after about another 10 minutes, it did. Again, this is just with the smaller file.

You have (potentially) 70 times the amount of data and I'm not sure, but it looks like Excel doesn't like working with anything over 2GBs.

 

[Cosmosent]

RE: "Apple CEO Tim Cook this week said that Apple is a company that people can trust with sensitive information.

I agree 100%.

 

[mariusignorello]

Regarding the Health app data...we need a better way to access OUR data. It's currently locked up in a dinky phone app...we need a health portal like Garmin provides. Locking data into iOS is shady and unacceptable; it's shouldn't be a platform war casualty if you leave iOS...and the janky export process doesn't count.

Janky...it’s probably one of the best out there. The others generate an XML file.
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It really is getting old. These forums are infested with cynicism. There is literally nothing Apple can do right, other than charge less for their products than everyone else, and even then, they’d be accused of falling behind hardware wise. I’m actually puzzled why this website has so many active cynics.

I posted something about the negativity on here and it was about Steve Job’s birthday but my post was removed for being “off topic”. It’s a legitimate problem on here.

 

[simonmet]

I’d like to be able to delete the Health app. I’ve no interest in anything it can track. It’s one of the first things I disable.

 

[rbgaynor]

Google got fined $5 billion for forcing the use of browser and search engine.

There is nothing inherently illegal about forcing the use of a browser or search engine, Google’s problem was due to abusing Android’s dominate market position.

 

[elmateo487]

Apple may say you are not the "product", but they still track you and collect a lot of data on you. It just takes one hacker to get that info.

Trusting apple not to sell your data is reasonable but trusting apple to create bug proof apps is laughable.

Is there some instance that you know of that I don't where Apple compromised your personal data?

 

[crsh1976]

The "we help save lives" is all cute and pertinent, but can we also get producy updates and actual innovation going again? I'm starting to feel like Apple has become a one-trick pony.

 

[Soccertess]

In before the negative comments... Great job, Tim!

Oops, too late already

You don’t think the hate towards Tim isn’t warrented?

We had people screaming on here saying wtf is going on with Apple products for how long? For example prices (10k watch for the 1%), lack of hardware updates ( Mac Pro, Mac mini 4+ years, MacBook Air). We have had lame hardware released (home pod - sales don’t lie) and questionable form factors for iPhones, one ports on mac books, $500+ upgrade for touch keys on Mac books).

iMessages is been dwarfed my world usage of whatsapp, line, wechat, etc...

And Siri... it finally can recognize basic speach, but can’t return any useful results or do anything useful.

Yet all fan boys said nothing was wrong because stock price was up. I complete am baffled by those who defended Cook.

Tim is a parasite, he can take his personal agenda, his privacy, and his social causes and promote them AFTER he has retired

 

[YaBe]

They keep repeating the same mantra, and while yes they might be better than others, privacy is simply not possible if you use tech.

I mean the only way I can think of being safe is not being online at all, and even that does not make you 100% sure, because if a friend of yours has internet and shares pics (or any other info) of him with you and such...well it all goes banana.

 

[where is it]

Apple are just doing a long term FaceBook.

Getting the userbase using the Health app, sharing data, trusting Apple.

Then slowly, after many years and many more sharing personal info apps, Apple will slowly introduce a targeted 'meaningful' ads experience, as a long term way to cash in.

In the mean time Apple gets to learn how not to sell peoples info from all the other companies that get burned, a classic Apple strategy.

 

[Marekul]

Although I don’t agree with Apple’s inflation with their pricing across the product line, Tim Cook discussion privacy is equally important to the consumer, because they need to know Apples stance in a world of where data infiltration happens quite frequently. You can disagree all you want, but I commend Tim Cook for his efforts assuring consumers data is protected.

Just look at China or billion dollar deals with googlw to see where apple is with privac. It’s all a big lie.