One of the biggest culture shocks that happened in the 2010s was Snowden leaking reports that the American government and corporations are collecting data on members of the public and effectively spying on them. These revelations gained major traction, and suddenly the vast majority of the public was suddenly aware of how dangerous being on the internet can be. We blindly trusted corporations with our data as we weren’t completely aware of what they were collecting. When it comes to Apple data collection, the company has marketed itself as a front-runner in privacy. But is that true? Just how much information does Apple have about us, and how does the company compare to other major corporations out there?
Apple Data Collection: Does Apple Collect Information About You?
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When cybersecurity and privacy became one of the public’s leading concerns regarding their digital lives, Apple quickly made itself a company people could rely on. There were many instances where the company ran into trouble with authorities for its refusal to give up consumer data. While that sounds noble, that does mean, in fact, that Apple does collect some data on you if authorities are imploring the company to share. Apple has a standardized privacy policy that applies to multiple apps and services and totals around 70,000 words of legal jargon.
Apple’s privacy page goes over all the data it does and does not collect. If you scroll through it, you can find that the company puts a lot of effort into educating the public on what data an average member of the public shares online and how Apple tries to protect every user. Of course, all digital services have to collect some amount of data, such as basic contact information, to store a profile on you for legal purposes. If you give Apple or any other Apple-affiliated app permission, then it might record other data such as location history, health information, and more.
Sometimes Apple can use your data to create more personalized advertisements, like on the App Store. If it sees that you’re into a certain type of application, then it’ll push sponsored content related to your tastes. The App Store, in particular, raises a few concerns. If you don’t agree to Apple Music’s privacy policy, you can use an alternative like Spotify. But what alternative is there for the App Store? Users are required to use it and get their data collected whether they like it or not.
Why Do Companies Collect Data on You?
Companies collect information on you for various reasons – some with innocent intentions and some with nefarious ones. The popular saying goes, “if a service is free, you’re not the customer; you’re the product,” and it’s never been more true than in the digital age. First and foremost, when you sign up for a website and agree with the privacy policy, you’re consenting to the company using your basic details for its own purposes. Now the average person definitely doesn’t read the whole privacy policy, but some companies might collect some pretty personal details.
For example, Apple Maps could collect data on where you’ve been and your travel patterns. For services like that, it most likely uses your data to drive business decisions to optimize it. But most social media websites and digital services can create an extremely detailed profile on you to sell to advertisers. Once it’s in the advertisers’ hands, they can promote whatever they want on particular channels to reach you. Compared to that, Apple data collection is timid for now.
Data Collection’s Biggest Offenders
Meta
Meta has been on a huge landslide since rebranding and after multiple lawsuits due to its privacy practices. When you agree to the privacy policy, Meta can track all of your activity on the app and website, including Messenger, Instagram, and any other linked service. There have been reports that it can also track your activity once you go on other applications. That makes Meta and all related applications and services effectively malware. With this information, Meta pushes content to your timeline and sells your data to advertisers, which is why you get a personalized experience on all apps.
Google
If you think about it, Google has the capability to control us digitally. If it wanted to censor certain information or promote something else, then it could technically do so. And it collects as much data as it legally can (and even illegally – like all major corporations, Google has been under fire from governments all over the world for a long time). It collects information on every search you make, every YouTube video you watch, wherever you go on Google Maps, and more. Unfortunately, it seems impossible to escape Google’s reach if you’re looking to protect your private information a bit more.
TikTok
TikTok is the newest big offender due to the U.S. government’s claims that it’s a tool that the Chinese government uses to spy on the West. While there is definitely some politics behind that statement, they’re not wrong. TikTok essentially collects all the information it can without worrying too much about legal scrutiny. When you download the app, it installs a pixel on your phone that can track all your activity in and out of the app. There’s a reason why so many experts call TikTok a digital drug. Its algorithm is so advanced, personalized, and specific, that it must be collecting huge amounts of data on you.
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