Everything you should know about Apple's Privacy Policy

Privacy has always been one of the most significant selling points for Apple. While Google and Facebook are the biggest ad agencies, Apple mostly deals with software and hardware. Therefore, your data doesn't benefit them. That is why they are getting out of the data loop and instead use AI to handle sensitive data.

The privacy policy affects its maps application, safari browser, sign-in protocol, and contacts storage. Here are the big things that you should know about the latest privacy policy:

Differential Privacy

Apple has been collecting sensitive data for some time, but it wasn't until recently that they took a step ahead by implementing AI that works independently on every iPhone.

The machine learning models put digital noise to data before reaching Apple's servers.

It includes data on health from Apple Watch or even the website you visit to Stream TV. However, the company doesn't have any interest in knowing the sites you visit since its anonymous.

All Apple devices have data that trains its AI algorithm on how to make the required noise to protect your sensitive data.

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It leads to a new model that every user gets and doesn't involve taking an aggregate data from every user and coming up with a model. It consists of combining individual models depending on data obtained from different sources.

This step is beneficial, considering that it could help the company introduce new features based on obtained data. The data collected could include the amount of time people use the iMessage app, the most popular emoji, and data that helps determine if an app needs more features.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Apple will add an Intelligent tracking prevention feature throughout the Safari browser. It is an update to the existing system that blocks third-party vendor's cookies.

Also, the new update includes cookies from first-party, which means that Safari won't track the pages that users go to after visiting another. For example, if you browse a page about pirates, advertisers won't know when you browse a page about shipwrecks right afterward.

Blocking such traffic might be detrimental for a media firm or other companies that rely on data analytics before making decisions. Making affiliate commerce or selling online ads would be harder for these companies.

However, you should note that using other browsers like Firefox and Chrome on your iPhone or Mac will mean that these rules won't apply.

Therefore, third-party apps from other developers are not a party to this new privacy policy. The in-house apps that the privacy policy applies are:

1. Safari - Advertisers won't follow you with the latest tracking prevention feature.
2. Maps - This app doesn't retain a log of places you have been or searched and also won't associate an Apple ID anymore.
3. Photos - You won't need to share your photos with Apple anymore because machine learning makes it possible to organize them locally.
4. Messages - Your messages are safe, and Apple doesn't read them.
5. Siri - Your Apple ID isn't associated with Siri, and you can even delete Siri if you don't want.
6. News - The content you receive depends on your interest, but your identity is safe.
7. Wallet - all financial information that might lead back to you aren't available, and debit and credit card details are protected.
8. Health - you choose the information you want Apple to collect and also the third-party you allow the company to share.

How to enable the features

The features mentioned above are not defaults, and you have to allow them manually. For instance, the Intelligent Tracking Preventing comes inbuilt with the Safari browser, which comes pre-installed on all Apple devices. You can only gain from this feature by using Safari. For the differential privacy, you have to policy in Device Analytics, which is available in the settings menu.