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Apple Launches iOS 11.3 With Raft of Privacy Features (theguardian.com)

Apple is launching a major privacy push, with software updates across all its devices to introduce new data privacy information immediately, with an updated website offering new privacy management tools to follow in May. From a report: Thursday's updates (macOS 10.13.4, iOS11.3 and tvOS 11.3) are prompted by the enormous new European data protection regulation GDPR, and have been in the works since at least January. But they come at a good time for the company, whose head Tim Cook has been merrily capitalising on the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, publicly rebuking Mark Zuckerberg over the social network's business model. For users of the company's devices, the biggest change will be the introduction of a unified data privacy iconography, which now shows up alongside detailed information about how Apple uses personal data for its various first-party services. "Apple believes privacy is a fundamental human right," the company will tell every user the first time they turn on their devices after the update, "so every Apple product is designed to minimise the collection and use of your data, use on-device processing whenever possible, and provide transparency and control over your information."

11 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Apple remains on the forefront protecting privacy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You pay a little more for their devices, but that's because the cost isn't subsidized by whoring your privacy out to the highest bidder.

    By the time most people are aware of the tradeoff, it's too late.

  2. China is getting the root certs/keys so... by anthony_greer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    its all academic. it can be as secure as you want it to be but if Apple will willingly turn over the keys to the kingdom to the Chinese, i cant trust them to not do the same for the US, EU or anyone else?

    1. Re:China is getting the root certs/keys so... by EvilSS · · Score: 2

      Can you trust a company to NOT comply with the laws of the countries they operate in? Probably not, no.

      --
      I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  3. GDPR FTW, I think? by adosch · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I gotta give it to the EU parliament for GDPR, I mean, it may not be the cage shaking of epic proportion, but it's something. That shit was never going to happen in the United States, ever.

    This still changes little to none --- ok, it makes us now aware of shit we always knew anyway, but decided to turn a consumer blind eye too because was saw something fucking 'shiny'. I hold myself accountable and gullible just as anyone else. It is not like eating that last Krispy Kreme doughnut in the break room when you know you didn't ever fucking need it? And doing it over and over again with each new social media platform you just had to be a part of, knowing full well that 'free' means a loosening the belt every time you sit back down at your desk until you gotta go buy new Dockers at Macy's?

    I see this as little more than altered perception comfort-food icon eye candy for all of us to say, "See look, this isn't as intrusive as this one!". It's just another dangly, shiny piece to distract you. It's just implied compliance to exactly to what was said, nothing more, nothing less, to make you feel better. There's still zero disclosure and whatever was given up, there's already a new, unknown backdoor way of just doing it under our noses again.

  4. Re:"Apple takes your money" by hispeedzintarwebz · · Score: 2

    I'd pay money I can choose whether I want to pay over data I have little to no choice in providing. Just like I'd pay $30/year for a version of Facebook with no ads and where my data isn't being sold, if it were an option, and if I believed them if they provided it as an option.

  5. Re:"Apple takes your money" by JoeyRox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apple also takes money from Google (billions per year to make Safari the default search engine) and likely Facebook (for deep IOS integration). So Apple doesn't take your data - they let others do it for them, and they receive a rich reward to let them do it.

  6. Re:"Apple takes your money" by ruir · · Score: 2

    Pardon, Friendly.

  7. Re:Apple remains on the forefront protecting priva by grub · · Score: 3, Informative

    too bad apple is a walled garden mess full of proprietary garbage that never really works the way you expect it work.

    Keeping my information private is exactly how I expect it to work, and it works well.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  8. Re:"Apple takes your money" by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apple also takes money from Google (billions per year to make Safari the default search engine) and likely Facebook (for deep IOS integration). So Apple doesn't take your data - they let others do it for them, and they receive a rich reward to let them do it.

    Apple kicked Facebook and Twitter Integration OUT of iOS 11.

    Do try to keep up.

  9. That's China only though, and not willing by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apple will willingly turn over the keys to the kingdom to the Chinese

    Who says it's willing? It's very unwilling, but it's mandatory.

    Apple has isolated China iCloud servers since China mandates full access. It's not like any citizen outside the U.S. will see any data held there.

    i cant trust them to not do the same for the US, EU or anyone else?

    I can because they (A) don't want to (B) don't have to (no laws in the U.S. and EU mandating access)

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  10. What about Apple? by rtkluttz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If I had one your phones apple, how would protect ** MY ** phone from you? Why should I even trust you to make my security decisions and app choices for me? If you believe in the ideal that you speak of, then you would provide tools so that the OWNER of the device is the one in complete control. Why do your users have to use an encryption system that you are in control of and could potentially be forced to hand over the security keys to in the first place? Why can they not use any app THEY choose and any encryption system THEY choose?

    --
    Digital is, by definition, imperfect. Analog is the way to go.