Apple: Surveillance Profile
A detailed look at how Apple collects, stores, and uses your personal data.
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Privacy Score
Fair
Apple's privacy score of 45/100 reflects their data collection practices, transparency, incident history, and user control options. There is room for improvement in their privacy practices.
Data Collected
Known Incidents
In 2019, a whistleblower revealed that Apple contractors regularly listened to private Siri recordings, including confidential medical information, drug deals, and intimate encounters, without user knowledge.
Apple agreed to pay $113 million in 2020 to settle an investigation by 33 US states over deliberately throttling older iPhone performance (Batterygate) without informing users.
The 2021 CSAM scanning controversy saw Apple announce plans to scan iCloud photos on-device, sparking massive backlash from privacy advocates and security researchers who warned it created a surveillance backdoor. Apple eventually abandoned the plan.
In 2023, Kaspersky discovered Operation Triangulation, a sophisticated zero-click exploit targeting iPhones via iMessage that exploited undocumented hardware features, raising questions about Apple's security claims.
Apple was found in 2022 to collect detailed analytics data from its App Store and other built-in apps even when users explicitly opted out of sharing analytics, contradicting its privacy marketing.
How to Opt Out
Apple provides more privacy controls than most big tech companies, but meaningful data minimization still requires effort. Start in Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and disable all sharing options including 'Share iPhone Analytics,' 'Improve Siri & Dictation,' and 'Share iCloud Analytics.' Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and turn off Personalized Ads. Under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, review each app's location access and set most to 'While Using' or 'Never.' Disable 'Significant Locations' under Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations and clear your history. For Siri, go to Settings > Siri & Search and disable 'Listen for Hey Siri' if you want to prevent accidental recordings. Delete your Siri and Dictation history under Settings > Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History. Review Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and enable 'Ask Apps Not to Track.' Under iCloud settings, review which data is synced and consider disabling iCloud backup for sensitive apps. Enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud to enable end-to-end encryption for most iCloud data categories. Use Safari's built-in privacy features: enable Prevent Cross-Site Tracking, hide IP address from trackers, and use Private Relay if available. Turn off Safari Suggestions and Search Engine Suggestions. For maximum privacy, avoid signing into an Apple ID entirely, use a local backup instead of iCloud, and install apps via alternative means where possible. Use Apple's built-in Mail Privacy Protection to block email tracking pixels. Regularly review app permissions for camera, microphone, contacts, and photos access. Consider switching to GrapheneOS on a Pixel phone for a fully de-Googled and privacy-focused mobile experience.
Private Alternative
Looking for a privacy-respecting alternative to Apple? We recommend:
GrapheneOSApple Surveillance by City
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