Apple has made it one of its main marketing arguments. iPhone users can rest easy. The Cupertino company takes the confidentiality of their personal data to heart, and it does not use it, placing itself as a bulwark of the privacy of Internet users. This is often also one of the main lines of communication of the company during its keynotes.
The report that pins privacy on the App Store
In 2021, Tim Cook even directly addressed the subject by explaining: “In terms of privacy – I think that’s one of the biggest issues of the century. We have climate change – it’s huge. We have privacy – it’s huge…”
🚨 New Findings:
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Apple’s analytics data include an ID called “dsId”. We were able to verify that “dsId” is the “Directory Services Identifier”, an ID that uniquely identifies an iCloud account. Meaning, Apple’s analytics can personally identify you 👇 pic.twitter.com/3DSUFwX3nV— Mysk 🇨🇦🇩🇪 (@mysk_co) November 21, 2022
However, a new study published by the Mysk research group suggests a slightly different version. On Twitter, members of the organization came back in detail on how the Tech giant processes the personal data of its customers.
On the App Store, each user has a unique identifier called “Directory Services Identifier”. Problem, by getting hold of this information which is not anonymous, it is possible to obtain the e-mail address, the telephone, or the address of a person.
Mysk believes that this transfer of data, which is not essential, cannot be prevented. Indeed, even by deactivating this option, this information will nevertheless be transmitted to the Apple brand.
If this information turns out to be correct, it is a small bomb. The laboratory therefore claims that data is indeed collected on users and their behavior on the App Store, then sent to the Cupertino company, without being anonymized.
Apple’s response
Questioned, Apple did not respond directly to our colleagues. However, in its privacy policy, certain elements address this issue.
“To find ways to improve the stores, we use information about your browsing, purchases, searches and downloads. These records are stored with an IP address, a random unique ID (if any), and an Apple ID when logged into the App Store or other Apple online stores”thus specifies the brand with the apple.
And the tech giant mentions the use cases for personal information: “When you open or close the App Store, the content you search for, the content you view and download, and your interactions with App Store push notifications and App Store messages in apps” .
Source: Presse-Citron
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
