In the competition between technology companies to define the values that represent them, Apple has long established itself as a firm and incorruptible defender of privacy. And it is true, no one can deny it, that there are many movements carried out by the company in this regard, and on all possible fronts. From suing those responsible for Pegasus so that they cannot use their software to refusing to collaborate with the authorities in relation to enabling “back doors” on their devices, going through the constant addition of new functions to their devices and operating systems to ensure for the privacy of its users.
The most recent examples of this are not few, such as the novelties of iOS 16.3 or the restrictive but shielded Isolation Mode, the more than efficient (to the grief of some “telcos”) Private Relay or, if we go a little further back in time , the release of iOS 14.5 which, as you may remember, forced app developers to offer users that their apps not track their activity, something that was absolutely not funny on Facebook.
They also know how to rectify if they take a false step In this sense, as happened with NeuralHash, a solution to prosecute CSAM content (Childs Sexual Abuse Material, pedophile content) which, due to its operating system, caused great concern to privacy defenders. At first Apple postponed its launch, despite the fact that regulators point precisely in that direction, and finally decided to cancel it.
We could go on talking, for hours, about all the measures taken by Apple to protect the privacy of its users, but the truth is that the company may not be being so consistent, after all, in defending the privacy of its users. This is what follows from reading a lawsuit filed in the Northern District Court of California on behalf of plaintiff Julie Cima, claims that Apple obtains customer data from iPhone despite device settings indicating a preference that the information not be shared.
The lawsuit is based on research published late last year claiming that Apple collects information from its users even if they have indicated that they do not want this to happen. Since its publication, there have already been other legal movements in the same direction. Additionally, previous research by Oxford University scientists published in April 2022 makes similar allegations.
If what is indicated in said study is confirmed and, consequently, the lawsuits go ahead, Apple’s image may be seriously compromised. And not only for having collected data from users who did not want this to happen, but also for the act of cynicism what it means to declare yourself an absolute defender of privacy, and also for the enormous benefit that you would obtain in these circumstances with respect to the rest of the developers of apps for iOS.
