Is Apple Safe? Apple has always been in the good books of the privacy-conscious netizens for its privacy and data protection. Even recently when the other tech-giants like Facebook and Google are in hot waters for tracking our activities on the internet and are involved in data leak scandals; Apple manages to keep itself away and claim to be the safest medium for privacy-conscious users.
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Is Apple Safe? -As Much as It Claims to Be
Apple’s Stance on Facebook’s Scandal
In fact, after Facebook got enmeshed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal; Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that he would never do something alike.
He said that Apple would never breach the privacy of consumers on moral grounds because privacy is a human right. Apart from a few glitches here and there; Apple users have actually relished much better online security than Facebook or Google users.
However, this does cement Apple’s status as the champion of privacy; it doesn’t indicate everything is entirely well. Most people think that the hero image that Apple has produced is only a marketing tactic – but one that serves.
But underneath it, $1 trillion company stands much of the related problems as its rivals. One of the most significant concerns it experiences is the security issues of apps in the App Store.
Even though there have been various complaints regarding the security of some of the apps available to Apple users; the company has never taken responsibility and imputed the individual developers who upload apps to the App Store. Do you still wonder is Apple safe or not? Read on to know more!
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Lax Responsibility
Apple has proved to be as careless as any other tech giant when it comes to apps. Despite having an acrimonious data protection policy; Apple has enabled iPhone app developers to store and sell user data, including phone numbers, home addresses, and photos.
There is also a section called Notes, where users can store passwords, social security numbers, or other sensitive data, and this segment is particularly vulnerable.
In July 2018, Apple made a new rule with app developers that banned the storage, usage, and sharing of user data. However, the law doesn’t appear to be making much of a difference.
This is because when individual app developers get access to user data; they have all the right to use it because the data belongs to them from then on. Apple can’t see where the information is going once it is out of their system.
It can be publicly posted on the Internet, shared with political campaigns, or even sold to the third party advertisers. Although the new rule prevents app developers from sharing the information collected; Apple has done nothing to make it difficult for developers to accumulate the data.
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How did Facebook land in Hot Waters?
This is precisely how Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg docked in hot waters over the data violation scandal, and had to face 10 hours of congressional testimony where he lied and acted like everyone there was wasting his time.
Apparently, it happened that the individual developer of a personality quiz app on the social media website accumulated the profile information of Facebook users and that of their friends, and shared the data with Cambridge Analytica, the company that operated for the 2016 presidential elections.
The data of approximately 87 million people were mined; even though only two million actually used the quiz app.
Senators questioning Zuckerberg asked him why the company did not know where the data was going and how it was being handled. In response, Zuckerberg answered; that once the data is out of their system, it’s difficult for them to track it.
Ingredients Are In Place for A Facebook-Like Disaster
Apple has all the constituents for a Facebook-like disaster. But it has contrived to evade it by adequately convincing users; that the company always thinks of their best interests even though its current policies are actually unenforceable.
Although the new policy may have some positive impact on data access; no one seems to talk about the lack of overlooking until then.
Lawmakers and privacy advocates even acclaimed Apple for the new rule that gives users more control over how their data is used. On the other hand; Apple itself doesn’t have much control over how app developers collect and utilize data.
Apple has always maintained that it isn’t interested in collecting personal data because it doesn’t depend on advertising revenue.
However, once Apple approves apps in the App Store; it has no control over the data they collect or use. Although the company claims that the apps are in strict supervision; they are actually not.
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Is Apple Safe? -Drastic Time Calls For Drastic Measures
If Apple really aspires to be a privacy champion; it has to take drastic measures to ensure users have more control over how their internet data is collected. Apple needs to stop the third-party developers from getting any other information; except phone numbers and email addresses.
Apple doesn’t even have a mechanism to inform users in case of a data violation. Until the company gets these security standards in place, we can not call it a champion for privacy. And people will remain to wonder questions like Is Apple Safe or Not!
