Apple's New Privacy Policy -- Second to None

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musicalmac

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#1 musicalmac  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 25098 Posts

Here's a new feature of iOS 8 that we weren't expecting: Apple announced tonight that the new software makes it impossible for Apple to turn over the data on an iOS 8-equipped iPhone or iPad to U.S. law enforcement, even in the presence of a search warrant. Chalk one up for privacy.

With iOS 8, Apple has changed the way its encryption works. With the newest version of Apple's mobile software in place, the company says it can no longer bypass a user's passcode—meaning that even if U.S. law enforcement presents Apple with a search warrant, the company would be incapable of accessing passcode-protected data on a user's device.

It's all a nifty bit of techno-legal wrangling on Apple's part: By taking away its technical capability to respond to law enforcement requests, Apple removed its legal duty to respond to them. If you're concerned about your right to privacy, that sounds like a very good thing—as long as you make sure to disable your iCloud. [Apple via The Washington Post]

Credit Gizmodo

Apple sets the example, but it's one example their competition can't match (especially Google).

Being a hardware company, Apple enjoys high profits on their products, not on invasive or annoying advertisements. Apple is the king at delivering things to folks that they never knew they wanted or considered were possible, but once you have it -- it's hard to walk away.

Read Apple's open letter, it's downright heartwarming.

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FireEmblem_Man

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#2 FireEmblem_Man
Member since 2004 • 20248 Posts

And Microsoft leads the pack by refusing to give in the US government (NSA) its backdoor keys to spy on us!

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NVIDIATI

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#3  Edited By NVIDIATI
Member since 2010 • 8463 Posts

Forget larger devices and NFC payments, that's already old news, privacy is, "the next big thing", apparently.

"For over three years Android has offered encryption, and keys are not stored off of the device, so they cannot be shared with law enforcement," a Google spokesperson told The Verge. "As part of our next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on."

Credit The Verge
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musicalmac

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#4  Edited By musicalmac  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 25098 Posts

@FireEmblem_Man: Ehhhhhhh I'm not so sure about that. LinkLinkLink. Top three hits on my search...

@NVIDIATI: I should perhaps link to The Verge article that speaks more specifically to the shots fired by Apple on this subject... And while I'm at it, I'll re-quote some of Apple's open letter here, what they discuss on the previous article I linked above.

A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product. But at Apple, we believe a great customer experience shouldn’t come at the expense of your privacy.

We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t "monetize" the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. (Read: The foundational practices behind Google's ability to generate revenue -- how lovely -- enjoy your ad-fueled OS experience)

Apple's transparency is refreshing and they're about the only company that gives us solid sales data and this kind of deep insight into how they use the data they have at hand (and how little data they try to keep).

EDIT: Seriously, it's ridiculous to even imagine Google and Apple in the same league in terms of customer privacy. It's not even the same sport.