Apple handling of customer data...

[Cr00zng]

I've red with interest Apple's response to U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce questionnaire, about handling customers' data. Certainly, some of the statements by Apple did present Apple as a corporation that is actually serious about the the privacy of their customers. Statements like these:

We believe privacy is a fundamental human right and purposely design our products and services to minimize our collection of customer data. When we do collect data, we're transparent about it and work to disassociate it from the user.

or this:

Because we strongly believe the customer should control their personal information and the way it's used, we provide a number of easily accessible resources on our website so that they can make wise choices.

Based on my experience with macOS and iOS, the second statement is certainly true and to a certain extent, even the first one could be viewed as such.

While Apple provides means for disabling data collection, I am not certain, if that's true in Safari, Siri and Spotlight with the Google search integration. The Alphabet company pays Apple $3B per year isn't some change and must result in a positive ROI. And that's seems to be the case, quote from the link:

On the other hand, Sacconaghi said that Apple's iOS devices contribute about 50 percent to Google's mobile search revenue, which means Google might be too afraid to walk away from its licensing deal with Apple. In this case, it's a win-win for Apple and Google.

It certainly seems like a "win-win" for both, customers' privacy may have been lost in the shuffle. Especially, when Google makes four times more money from iOS, than from Android platform. Since the link is from 2012, the ratio of the earning from the platforms might have changed...

Back to the Apple response to the inquiry... Apple also states, that it is not responsible for third-party data collection and for the resulting privacy implications for its customers. Well, when you earn $3B per year from this deal, some may say that you should be responsible.

On the other hand, Apple does provide ways to easily disable Siri, change default browser, etc. There's that, what I have taken advantage of, even if some of the functionality is lost.

What's your take on Apple's response to the questionnaire?

 

[ferrarr]

First, thanks for bringing this topic onto the forums.

I like the way Apple handles it's customers privacy issues. I also understand the privacy we must give up to use certain "internet" services and can live with it. I don't think most average users are aware of what those services entails, so they are blissfully ignorant, imo.

I always turn google off in all browsers on my devices, but on my families devices, I let them choose. I will occasionally use google, when I am unable to find what I am searching for with DDG. I also have a gmail account that has only ever been used for friends and family, no newsletters, or website signups at all, so have not received any spam at all.

The devices are ours to use, to suit our needs, we really need to read all the agreements we make in order to use the services they provide. I do read some parts of certain agreements, in order to feel like I have done my due diligence.

 

[IWT]

For those interested in the whole débâcle about privacy, this article from The New Yorker may be of interest. Basically, it asks the question

is privacy what we’re really looking for, or something more along the lines of the right to be left alone?

Link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...te&utm_source=sendgrid email&utm_medium=email

Ian

 

[Cr00zng]

@Bob...

I like the way Apple handles it's customers privacy issues.

On the surface, what is not to like? My issue is the large scale sellout of Apple customers' data to Google. There's no way that Apple had not been aware that signing a contract with Google will result in collecting its customers data. Especially after Steve Job actually made the default search engine from Google to Bing. For awhile, about a year ego or so, even Siri used bing.com in searches. For that matter, bing.com is still the search engine for image searches. And yes, Microsoft had paid and still pays Apple for being in this position. In another word, there's actually two corporations that collected and collect Apple users data.

Apple citing that "privacy is a fundamental human right" certainly sounds hollow, or downright hypocritical. Yes, Apple does not sell its users privacy data, Apple just sells that capability to a third-party to harvest the data on their own.

@Ian...

That's a very interesting link, especially from historical perspective...

I tend to agree with the article, with one exception. The government in itself really doesn't collect all of the data about us in volume. That's the responsibility of private corporations, that allow access to the government to the collected data for a fee and/or free. There's no search warrant necessary in this case, due to the third-party doctrine. In most cases, the government has direct access through NSA, or just drafting NSL for the corporation to cough up the data. I presume that you recall how General Petraeus's girlfriend's Google email account had been access by an FBI agent in Tampa Bay, FL, based on a socialite friend of his requesting a favor....