Apple is launching a portal that enables customers to find out what kind of data the company has kept on them.
The portal, which was already tested in the European Union as the EU launched its General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR), might include data such as calendar entries, photos, reminders, documents, website bookmarks, App Store purchases or support history of repairs to your devices.
According to CNBC, the tech giant has also released additional enhanced privacy features with its new website and new iOS 12 operating system for iPhones and iPads. For example, its “Intelligent Tracking Prevention” technology stops the data collection so that consumers will no longer see ads for products related to purchases or web searches.
Apple has also made changes that will prevent “machine fingerprinting” or “browser fingerprinting,” a way that a person’s device can be identified through its unique settings and preferences.
The company is focusing on privacy as well, including end-to-end encryption for its Group FaceTime video chat product, as well as the new “Screentime” feature.
The new security features come as Apple looks to set itself apart as a company that makes money from selling hardware instead of targeted ads based on customer data. “The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer — if our customer was our product. We’ve elected not to do that,” CEO Tim Cook said in an interview in March.
Cook made those comments after Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg wasted no time in firing back, accusing Cook of being “extremely glib.”
“You know, I find that argument — that if you’re not paying … somehow we can’t care about you — to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth. The reality here is that if you want to build a service that helps connect everyone in the world, then there are a lot of people who can’t afford to pay,” said Zuckerberg.
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