This article clumsily papers over the fundamental difference between Apple, and companies like Facebook and Google: Apple <i>does not collect or possess that customer data in the first place</i>. That is the essence of why, and how, Apple can manage to be a better steward of your privacy: it doesn't collect all kinds of data on you. That data is under <i>your</i> control, as a user, which is how it should be. But that in turn means that you have to be responsible for who you share that data with.
A quick summary: iOS has very coarse-grained controls for app permissions to the contact list, either allowing all access to data about every contact, including free-form text notes that could contain arbitrary sensitive information, or no contact list access at all. The App Store's policies controlling use of contact list data are too weak without technical enforcement. (It's also noted that Google has the same problem with Android and the Play Store, but the author argues that Apple is more hypocritical because of its public pro-privacy stance.) To correct the problem:<p>> <i>the first step is obvious: Restrict [apps] from getting any information from users' lists beyond phone numbers and email addresses. The next step is redesigning the controls of the list to allow users to encrypt or decline to share certain contacts. The names in a contact list could be benign, or they could be revealing—a doctor's patients, a dealmaker's network, a journalist's sources.</i>
> When developers get our information, and that of the acquaintances in our contacts list, it’s theirs to use and move around unseen by Apple. It can be sold to data brokers, shared with political campaigns, or posted on the internet. The new rule forbids that, but Apple does nothing to make it technically difficult for developers to harvest the information.<p>The article seems to really be trying hard to gloss over a lot of details to make a relatively minor complaint (really? The notes field in your contacts is your big concern?).<p>It's perfectly clear when you try to use an app that wants to access your contacts, and Apple makes it very easy to prevent. And unlike other platforms, apps are required to still work even if you deny such access.
Apple respects your privacy because Tim Cook says so, and so does their webpage. Without any audit of the code, you're taking it on faith. And their privacy statement seemingly has a "nowness" to it, non-committal. There is no assurance of privacy in the future. For example, Apple could have said ...<p>"We are committed to never sharing your data with 3rd parties or governments for the entirety of our existence as a company. This contract can not be changed, and in doing so we are guilty of blah blah" (not a lawyer)<p>Questions I have are...<p>Is there privacy statement a legally binding contract? Is there any legal recourse for customers if they are have found to violate it?<p>Is it only applicable to particular countries? Does it change when you go to different countries?<p>Could Apple decide that the data they harvest is more valuable then their privacy claim and retract their so-called privacy commitment? Could retroactive data then be exploited?
Yes.<p>Unlike FB they don’t do secret backdoor deals with phone manufacturers to spy on you. Also they don’t spy on you. Also they don’t make ALL their money from advertising creating an unavoidable incentive for violating your privacy (and wasting your time but that’s beside the point).<p>Unlike Android they aren’t a Wild West of malware and dodgy phone manufacturers who do secret deals with everyone to spy on you.<p>Unlike Google they don’t make almost all their money from advertising (see above).<p>Unlike Microsoft they don’t bake ads into their OS despite the fact that they don’t make much money from it. Also they aren’t trying to compete with Google. Also hardware Wild West thing.<p>Unl
There is no fundamental difference. The difference is that at this point in time, it's more profitable for Apple to not collect and posses data than the other way around.<p>That is not a given.<p>The only future-proof way around this is to be in control of the software (and hardware) you use, something Apple is not very comfortable with.
Everyone talks about the 'collecting' of customer data.<p>Like simply collecting and holding that data is somehow wrong.<p>Apple doesn't collect the same customer data that Google does, but even if they did, it's much much more important to talk about how that data is used.<p>Google are an advertising company. It's in their best interest to use that data to INFLUENCE you to the whims of the highest bidder.<p>Google are running a platform whereby they sell their brainwashing services to anyone willing to pay. That's not an exaggeration.
That headline is an interesting choice of phrase. Are we expecting big tech corporations to almost literally be superheroes or villains?<p>It does seem like many people expect them to fight for justice. Protect the innocents. Maybe not punch the bad guys, but at least banish them.<p>This is not what corporate PR is usually going for. But suppose someone decided, heck yeah, we're going to be a virtual superhero, and just ran with that?
Apple is a huge company that needs to grow every year and has access to a lot of data. I think even if Apple is doing well now they easily can change their data strategy to make more money or be forced by governments.<p>We should work on a system where it's not possible for a company to accumulate that much data.
This is a Facebook submarine [1].<p>[1] <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html</a>
Apple are no better data hoarders.<p>A personal anecdote - last year I tried to (for the first time) use an iPhone. First of all, why do we need to "activate" it? What's wrong with just turning it on and using?<p>Then comes data collection, they wouldn't allow me to use my smartphone without a SIM card (I couldn't use my old SIM in that moment because it was not in the micro format). So, you can't "activate" your iPhone and use it as wifi-only device, they want your SIM card's data first.<p>OK, trying again with an old inactive SIM card from the drawer, now they want my full name, my email, my telephone, my birthday and my address. Why though? I decided to play their game and entered bogus data and a temporary email address. Now they want me to confirm the email and the telephone. Just let me use it already! I managed to confirm the email (the unconfirmed telephone number was nagging in the notifications area), and hooray, I already could use some of my phone and get online.<p>Next comes the iTunes account. If you want to install any app from the store you must have an iTunes account. Again, full name, telephone, address, zip code, etc.. In the end it refused to register (maybe some algo detected my bogus data which I didn't even try to make it look legit) and it just suggested to contact their support.<p>This is when I reseted it and decided to return it.