A Look Inside Apple's User Data Utilization Wars (reuters.com) 67
tlhIngan writes: It's no secret Apple [is] on a privacy bent as of late. But that extends inside of Apple as well with various internal groups fighting for access to user data and often being denied by Apple's "privacy czars" who ensure Apple doesn't collect information they don't [need], that information is used only [in] ways the user allows, and to design the systems to keep user data separate. This has lead to many conflicts, especially for the Siri and iAd team who often cannot access [the] user data they need. Of course, Apple can do this because unlike Google, Facebook or [Amazon], Apple makes money on hardware and not on the sale of customer data.
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You're title is correct in that you're wrong (Score:5, Informative)
"Apple makes money on hardware and not on the sale of customer data."
iAd ... http://advertising.apple.com/ [apple.com] ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] ...
iBeacon
iTunes
All of these use user data to facilitate advertising or other revenue for Apple.
Revenue breakdown for Apple:
http://www.statista.com/statis... [statista.com]
So they make 80% of their revenue from hardware. iTunes exists because of the hardware. All of that other stuff like iAd/iBeacon is probably a rounding error.
Oh and:
http://www.engadget.com/2016/0... [engadget.com]
Re:You're title is correct in that you're wrong (Score:4, Informative)
Most people do these days. My family has half a dozen iDevices. If they're hooked up to the computer once a year, that seems like a lot.
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I now have OTG (On the Go) USB thumb drives that have a standard USB 3.0 connector and a MicroUSB connector on the opposite end. When I want to watch a movie on my Android tablet I can throw it on the dual interface drive (its a 32GB that I paid $10 for at WalMart) at the PC, plug the drive into the MicroUSB connector on my Tablet, and watch the movie.
So I seldom connect my tablet or Android phone to the PC anymore either. But it's pretty easy to get data onto it. How do you sync data fast (i.e. by wired
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Okay, done... what's the issue you're supposed to hit?
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I can run without iTunes, with the device backing itself to iCloud, and after an erase, having the device restore itself completely.
However, there is one use that iTunes is a must: If I want to do a DFU restore, I have to plug it via a wired connector, and load a firmware version that is within Apple's signing window.
Does this mean iOS is better? No. I can run an Android device, and not need to use an ADB driver until I need to flash a ROM. Restores are easy as well, as app backups are stashed on a clou
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Try to use that hardware without iTunes. No really, try it.
Going on six years now.
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You're clearly not putting on or getting much data from your iDevice, then. Not with any speed, anyway.
That's cool, some people don't want to throw a chunk of movies or music onto a portable device and use it disconnected from anything that they have to pay for. Some of us do, though. OTG connections rock.
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Yes, I'm clearly using my phone differently than you use yours. Not sure what the hostilty is about, though.
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Not a problem. I haven't loaded itunes for YEARS for my ipads or iphones.
I am guessing you haven't touched an apple product for over 5 years now.
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iAd failed because they were unable to get user information.
The only information Apple was going to give marketers? How many people viewed the ad. No IDs, no counts, not even an anonymous ID they could use to track people.
Marketers obviously balked because they could get far more information using AdMob than iAd. The iAd people even wanted to mine iTunes data but was refused, three times. This would allow them to target the ads to individual users, but that request was denied - it was basically just adverti
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iAd, iBeacon, et. al., give Apple a 24/7/365 ability to track where a device is in real time. If the data is there, it can be used and seized.
If Apple were a privacy champion, they would be doing something against intrusive ads, not joining the intruders and privacy violation squad.
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"Apple makes money on hardware and not on the sale of customer data."
iAd ... http://advertising.apple.com/ [apple.com] ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] ...
iBeacon
iTunes
All of these use user data to facilitate advertising or other revenue for Apple.
iAd is being discontinued. [engadget.com]
With no new ads being accepted once current campaigns end it will be gone. The sales team has already been dismantled.
Cognitive Dissonance (Score:2, Funny)
How is the /. user not segment fault over this good news!
Another humble brag from Apple? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Really? Are we really that cynical?
The fact remains that the only major technology company that doesn't base their entire business model around collecting and exploiting the personal data of its users, is Apple. You can't even say that about Microsoft, which we have seen is all too willing to force people to upgrade to their Windows 10 spyware. And your reaction is, "another humble brag?" Boastful or not, leaked or not, deliberate manipulation or not, the bottom line is that nerds who bitch and moan abo
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But how are Apple haters going to be able to come around to these set of facts...?
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Except, wasn't the whole Jennifer Lawrence naked photos scandal all about images leaked out of an iPhone? Wasn't it images on an Apple cloud drive??
And there have been a rash of 'leak' incidents and issues just since the start of this year.
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Actually, it turns out that it was not Apple's fault - it was the result of a massive phishing attack [techcrunch.com].
It wasn't an attack on iCloud security, it was just social engineering, which explains why "the fappening" was limited to only a few accounts.
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Except, wasn't the whole Jennifer Lawrence naked photos scandal all about images leaked out of an iPhone? Wasn't it images on an Apple cloud drive??
Nope, more than half were from hacked Gmail accounts - keep up with the news, binge shitter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/03/16/the-shockingly-simple-way-the-nude-photos-of-celebgate-were-stolen/ [washingtonpost.com]
Based on what we know from the plea agreement and prosecutors, it appears that one major part of Celebgate is much less elaborate than what some 4chan users claimed at the time: that many of the photos were stolen through a clever exploitation of a previously unknown iCloud security flaw — a claim that Apple had denied.
Instead, Collins used a method of gaining access to password-protected accounts that can victimize pretty much anyone. Phishing schemes come in a lot of different flavors, but all follow the same basic outline: Users are tricked into giving out sensitive information by malicious email accounts or websites that appear legitimate. Spear phishing, which appears to be what happened here, involves targeting specific users by impersonating businesses or individuals they might already know.
According to court filings, Collins stole photos, videos and sometimes entire iPhone backups from at least 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts,
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I don't dispute the facts of the article or any of the points made in your post. My contention is that nothing leaks out of Apple unless Apple wants it to be leaked. Apple has made the protection of user data a cornerstone of their smart device strategy. We saw nearly zero leaks out of Apple for the last 10 years yet suddenly we now get inside information about how their engineers reacted to the potential of having to compromise their encryption and now how their business group is reacting to pressure to utilize user data, both stories which support Apple's strategy. You'd have to be cynical not to believe that these leaks weren't humble brags straight from Apple HQ.
What's your point? That you would only entrust your data to companies that can't even keep their own company secrets to themselves?
Google becoming Microsoftish (Score:3, Interesting)
Google Maps on Android wanted me to register (with Google) in order for Maps to remember recent queries done just 5 minutes ago even. If you don't register, you gotta re-type them in.
And the User Agreement does permit them to share map queries with vendors.
Technically a map app could cache recent map queries on the phone itself rather than The Cloud.
I'm thinking of going back to iPhone.
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I think that the people at Google not-so-secretly hate their users. I imagine that it's similar to how an abusive person feels about a spouse that keeps coming back for more or how a slaughterhouse operator feels when they leave the gates open and none of the livestock even try to escape. How can you have any respect for people who continually and voluntarily interact with Google?
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Didn't they change their creed from "Don't be evil" to something non-committal like, "Make a reasonable attempt cut down on evil a tad if you have the time and it's not too costly"?
"ish"?? (Score:2, Interesting)
Google to my mind has far surpassed Microsoft in unpleasantness to the user. Microsoft primarily was involved n creating bad user interfaces that were overly complex and lacked style; even though they collect a lot of user info also they don't spread it around nearly so much as Google does. Google's ecosystem is far more "leaky" if you will in terms of apps or advertisers getting a trove of information about your behavior from search or even just day to day movement.
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It's always been my impression that Google is building a warehouse of profiles and the last thing they want is advertisers to ever access that info... Am I misunderstanding their business model?
IMO you're overstating Google's "aggressiveness", but you've got the business model right, and you're right that the last thing Google wants to do is give the data to advertisers. And, frankly, advertisers couldn't use it as effectively.
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But if you go back to iPhone, the maps will lead you out onto an active airplane runway.
Or was it into a live volcano? I can't remember the details....
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Considering the head start,Google Maps should be miles ahead compared to Apple Maps instead of "sometimes better, sometimes worse".
Yeah, Apple can do this (Score:2)
Perhaps they shouldn't though.
It could be why Siri is something people use twice then give up because it's not as good as it could be.
Laws/Regulations protecting customer info exist... (Score:4, Funny)
Information privacy or data protection laws prohibit the disclosure or misuse of information held on private individuals. These laws are based on Fair Information Practice, first developed in the United States in the 1970s by the Department for Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). The basic principles of data protection are:
For all data collected there should be a stated purpose.
Information collected by an individual cannot be disclosed to other organizations or individuals unless specifically authorized by law or by consent of the individual
Records kept on an individual should be accurate and up to date
There should be mechanisms for individuals to review data about them, to ensure accuracy. This may include periodic reporting
Data should be deleted when it is no longer needed for the stated purpose
Transmission of personal information to locations where "equivalent" personal data protection cannot be assured is prohibited
Some data is too sensitive to be collected, unless there are extreme circumstances (e.g., sexual orientation, religion)
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For all data collected there should be a stated purpose.
Becasue we want to do it.
Information collected by an individual cannot be disclosed to other organizations or individuals unless specifically authorized by law or by consent of the individual
You did read the 100+ pages EULA, right?
Records kept on an individual should be accurate and up to date
And that's why we're always traciing you.
There should be mechanisms for individuals to review data about them, to ensure accuracy. This may include periodic reporting
Nothe the 'should' and 'may' not the 'must' and
Apple still has some security to work out. (Score:2)
iMessage leaves all kinds of forensic evidence behind AFTER a message is deleted. Including records of when it was deleted...
https://twitter.com/JZdziarski... [twitter.com]
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On Android, the app I'd use for securing texts is TextSecure. It not just provided key exchanges, but it stashed the SMS messages encrypted. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be on the Play Store anymore. It didn't have as much functionality as dedicated SMS apps... but it did work and seemed to have been well designed. I'd definitely use this if it were still around, or on iOS.
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Signal has replaced it.
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Theoretically it is very easy to create, although people may not trust that it was actually done that way.
The user will generate a personal key on their device for their data or more importantly, be able to enter their own encrypted key file manually. The data sent will be encrypted with that key. Apple will store the data in a bucket labelled by the device ID or Apple ID. Now Apple is storing your data on their computers and they can access it, but they can't read it unless they can break the encryption