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Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

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Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#31

This is so crazy to see. Usually when Apple faces the public, everything is super curated to sound pro-consumer, even if its anti-consumer. Sure this PDF doesnt venture far from it, they still paint Apple in the prettiest picture, but the terminology shows that Apple is basically doing the same thing as google but with slightly different methods to blur it. Heck, we don't actually know what is going on inside an iPho…

Apple sells expensive hardware and Google sells ads and data. I agree that we will never know for sure what Apple does, but follow the incentives and you will know which company has more to lose.

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#32

This is so crazy to see. Usually when Apple faces the public, everything is super curated to sound pro-consumer, even if its anti-consumer. Sure this PDF doesnt venture far from it, they still paint Apple in the prettiest picture, but the terminology shows that Apple is basically doing the same thing as google but with slightly different methods to blur it. Heck, we don't actually know what is going on inside an iPho…

Apple sells expensive hardware and Google sells ads and data. I agree that we will never know for sure what Apple does, but follow the incentives and you will know which company has more to lose.

Apple also now sells a big advertising network, tracking devices and online services that compete with Google.

They're way past hardware.

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#34
post #27
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you square that claim with E2EE and the way Find My works?

Not everything is under E2EE and the Find My is probably not the biggest privacy problem of Apple.

Everything except specifically iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar is E2EE when Advanced Data Protection is enabled.

See this for what is and isn't encrypted: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#35
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Apple world, they basically carefully redefined privacy as "anyones else besides us getting access". They put themselves as a fully trusted party for everything.

How do you square that claim with E2EE and the way Find My works?

Same way as I square it with my MacOS/iOS having a separate tick for Apple data collection vs. everyone elses data collection and having their ad targeting and data having different defaults.

They're a corpo of hundreds of thousands, there's no feelings attached to it from their side. They'll do what makes their stock go up or the CEO will be replaced with someone who'll do the needful.

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#36
post #12

This is so crazy to see. Usually when Apple faces the public, everything is super curated to sound pro-consumer, even if its anti-consumer. Sure this PDF doesnt venture far from it, they still paint Apple in the prettiest picture, but the terminology shows that Apple is basically doing the same thing as google but with slightly different methods to blur it. Heck, we don't actually know what is going on inside an iPho…

I always felt Apple pivoted to 'privacy' when they saw they had missed the race to harvest and monetise personal information.

Could be but anyways this is why competition is good.

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#38
post #33

I'd rather have Apple's hypocritical "only we may spy on our users" approach than Google's. But anyway, I use GrapheneOS.

Why is Apple's approach better and what is really different?

I would guess is because Apple and Google have different business models, Google is an ad company specializing on collecting info while Apple is selling hardware and software.

Re: Apple: Android is a tracking device [pdf]

#39
post #2

All smartphones are. There's only so much you can do to cover your track. There's most likely always someone knowing where you are if your phone is powered on (or even powered off with Apple Find My network). https://9to5mac.com/2021/06/07/ios-15-find-my-network-can-fi...

Talk about a false equivalency. One has spying built into the business model itself. The other does not.
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