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Article on what user-data is kept by Apple.

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elagache:
Dear WeatherCat users concerned about nosy technology companies,

Facebook and Google have been criticized for the personal data they collect and how they use it.  However, Apple also is able to collect a great deal of information about you from your Mac and iOS devices.  Recently, a journalist requested all the data that Apple had on him using European rules on such things.  The results are reported in this article:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/05/04/asked-apple-everything-had-me-heres-what-got/558362002/

Some things weren't unexpected like Apple has a record of all purchases associated with online services.  How can Apple replace an app or digital music file if it doesn't keep track of your purchases.  However, they have records that might not seem so expected or appropriate for Apple.  For example, they have your browsing history for Safari.  That is the very same information that has gotten Google in hot water.  Of course, Google can use that browsing history in a way that Apple doesn't appear to be able to do at least internally.

Still, if that sort of data in anybody's hands concerns you, you might want to consider using more than one browser.  Having every company with an incomplete picture of your online activities is probably the best defense we can have against nosy corporations.

Cheers, Edouard

Weatheraardvark:
For me, I really don't care.  However with the latest two MacOSX  apple does give one some leeway of opting out of some data.

It would be naive for  me to believe that everything posted on the internet is safe from data mining, including what I am typing now.  I guess a good concept to hammer into kids heads would be, don't put anything on the internet, search any site you don't want to be associated with.  that nothing,even if it is purged, it is located somewhere.

Mom used to tell me  "nothing in life is free. If  it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."   When we pay nothing for Twitter, Facebook, etc....   don't assume that the service is given without some cost, even if it mines your data.

Now I need to go to bed,   That black van across the street with the two guys in it must be tired staring over hear.  I think one is named Boris, and the other is Natasha..

xairbusdriver:

--- Quote ---When we pay nothing for Twitter, Facebook
--- End quote ---
"Paying" assumes you are a "customer". We are not "customers" of TwitFace or any other 'social media'. One more time, we are their product! We give them all our comments, images, clicks, views for free and they sell that data to the highest bidder who is their customer. And they are making a tidy little profit at it. [rockon]

They have admitted that they are simply drug dealers. The excel in figuring out ways to give us a dopamine hit as often as possible so we will stay on their site as long as possible. We are nothing more than drug users to them... not to put too fine a point on it. [rolleyes2]

At least with Apple, I have something tangible sitting on my desk or in my pocket. And it can be extremely helpful and even life-saving!

Weatheraardvark:
perhaps we should get rid of our phones as we did way back 50 years ago.  Write letters with stamps and use the landlines.   Use the card catalog at the library.

Also,those who are dearly worried should stop doing those things that they might worry about Big Brother (or Big Bother)  for latching on to the data and information.

Trust me,  I have been using computers for almost 40 years,  I am sure whoever is looking finds me boring.

Blicj11:

--- Quote from: elagache on May 07, 2018, 12:19:11 AM ---Some things weren't unexpected like Apple has a record of all purchases associated with online services.  How can Apple replace an app or digital music file if it doesn't keep track of your purchases.  However, they have records that might not seem so expected or appropriate for Apple.  For example, they have your browsing history for Safari.  That is the very same information that has gotten Google in hot water.  Of course, Google can use that browsing history in a way that Apple doesn't appear to be able to do at least internally.

--- End quote ---

Methinks thou hast misread the sentence. From the article, "The one sentence highlight: a list of my downloads, purchases and repairs, but not my search histories through the Siri personal assistant or the Safari browser." (Boldface added by me.)

The article states just the opposite of your summary. The author was surprised at how little data Apple was keeping on him, compared to the social media giants.

Thanks for posting the link; I have requested my data from Apple because I am curious.

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