[privacy] Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data

[bitmover]

Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data
Governments have been secretly tracking the app activity of an unknown number of people using Apple and Google smartphones, US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) revealed today.

In a letter demanding that the Department of Justice update or repeal policies prohibiting companies from informing the public about these covert government requests, Wyden warned that "Apple and Google are in a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps."

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/apple-admits-to-secretly-giving-governments-push-notification-data/

Looks like Apple phones, despiste of "Privacy, thats Apple" slogan, are giving all notifications data to governments.

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

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[Upgrade00]

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

They have been for a very long time now. Governments use them to track us, websites use them to do the same and have more detailed information about us then we know of ourselves.

What's ironic is that even if the government data pull requests become public, the public would not care much about it.

[PrivacyOui]

And again it is a proof how our data is distributed everywhere, once obtained. Good catch from US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to reveal it.
In a technical closed source environment, we can't trust Apple's claims.
Trust can only be given if each component involved is open source and can be verified.

Nice reminder, OP.
Your post might also be related to my new topic "Honeypot websites are dangerous for our privacy - BEWARE": https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5483162.0

[SatoPrincess]

The government can come out and say these things and not be worried about the people protesting. You will be shocked at the number of people who will not blink an eye at this information. They won’t boycott Apple or petition them for sharing personal data without users consent. People care more about TMZ news than they do about their privacy and information affecting their lives.

[Smartvirus]

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

Not having to believe that these are been done on a daily basis would be one having to fool themselves as, entities that exists within a jurisdiction needs to have certain allegiances with the government for a smooth operation and through this, surveillance could be conducted on just anyone except for the government officials.
You never can really tell except in obvious cases where your being surveyed and even thought to be erased data would be revamped and used where necessary.
In the worst case, there would always be some policy not within public knowledge that sets the records just right in permits for the government and it’s agents to have access to these data.

[jrrsparkles]

Smartphones always track the user data and it has been considered an individual spy that we are holding in our hands 24/7 and its not a big surprise that Apple is sharing the data with the government and what we don't know is who else they are sharing with because they claim that it is secured and privacy ecosystem while android is selling user's data to every company but I doubt apple is doing the same but giving false promises to its users just to increase their brand value and sell their products with huge margins.

[Nheer]

Apple snitching on its customers now??

This is serious, we now live in a world where everyone lies to one another. The government cannot be trusted in any way, they constantly taint themselves negatively, but Apple has completely tarnished their reputation and the trust I had in them, I used to believe in their privacy.

Why would Apple deceive the public?

[Churchillvv]

Smartvirus just nailed it, every big (successful) business that is based or has its part in the US has a secret alliance with the government whether we like it or not this few autocrats is manipulating almost every part of our lives, privacy is not longer privacy. It's only private to us the individuals but to the government they have access to our activities daily. Now that Apple has this flaws I bet only few will take notes of it because this product has now gotten a monopoly in the industry that competitors aren't match with.

I'm beginning to see reason with this statement "No where is 100% safe" like wtf is really going on. do they want to own humanity? I guess if it was possible they would have done that to remain in control.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

Looks like Apple phones, despiste of "Privacy, thats Apple" slogan, are giving all notifications data to governments.

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

Yes, that's correct. I have watched different video clips on social media where a tech guy talks about the security threat of iPhones. Since I started using a mobile phone, I have not used an iPhone because I don't just like the phone. My favorite phone is either Samsung or Infinix, but we cannot also be right that the two companies (Samsung and Infinix) or other phone companies are not also peeping on users and sharing our notifications with the government. I feel it could be something that is going on underground and not yet exposed, just like it's obvious in the case of apple.

Since these companies are working with a certificate permit that is usually issued to them by the government, there is also a possibility that the government can give them terms to adhere to or else it will stop them from doing business, and they don't have any choice but to agree.

[SamReomo]

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

Yes, it's 100% a true fact but we can't do much because we all are dependent on those phones and we can't live without those. People mostly love Apple iPhones but they don't really know that they are being watched from that phone and all their data is getting to the servers of Apple which they're sharing with government.

If Google is doing that, and Apple is doing that then whom we can trust? I heard that there's a Linux based smartphone named as Pine Phone, but I have never used that phone myself. I think that one is much safer than those Apple phones and Android phones. I heard it uses a Linux based distro which isn't Android. Do anyone use that Phone?

[PrivacyG]

How surprising, is it not?

To me it is not.  But what bad thing are we hiding to be afraid of a Government bypassing our rights to Privacy, right?

It is never too late to move to a more Privacy focused life.  You will never regret it either.  In fact you will feel safer this way.  It may be time to start really contemplating how much time we are wasting on Social Media and using our Smart phones.  No body cares about that meal you ate at a fancy restaurant yesterday or that you went to a concert.  They will be jealous they could not post such 'cool' things on their own accounts at most.

Enjoy your life.  Live the moment, not through fake attention.  Try living like in the 80s to the 90s.  You will love it, I bet.

[NotATether]

This title is misleading. Apple did not admit to doing anything. Why would they? It was a senator who revealed that Apple was sending the push notification data to governments.

Do not expect Apple to admit to doing anything that might damage their reputational image.

Now I wonder, whether push notifications can be encrypted entirely. I hear that the developers must encrypt the messages themselves, so that they are not evesdropped on.

[Lucius]

~snip~
Enjoy your life.  Live the moment, not through fake attention.  Try living like in the 80s to the 90s.  You will love it, I bet.

Do you want to say that young people today would be happy if they discarded smartphones, computers, console players or the internet? I bet that 90% of those people couldn't survive a week without all that technology, and you'd really have to be persistent to find someone who would really like it.

According to what we see today, the majority of people are ready to sacrifice their privacy for the sake of their lifestyle, and even if tomorrow all smart device manufacturers announce that they share user data with all the governments of the world, I have no doubt that this would result in nothing but endless discussions on social networks.

Today, it all comes down to who will spy on you in relation to whose device you are using - and considering that Apple devices are also manufactured in China, be sure that the Chinese also have a hand in this.

[boyptc]

I am not surprised.

Whether we're on our android or apple smartphones, there's always the case that they're giving some of the data that they get from us and providing it to the government.

While there are apps that are sending us all of these bloatwares and ads, so that's not really surprising if they do that knowing that they're #1 brand as of the moment.

[btc78]

Well I am not really surprised we all know that our data are being distributed by someone somewhere we just did not know who exactly because there are a million ways how to do it

One would be through the internet every website you visit is taken note of and thus your website experience will be catered according to you i know i have once heard google saying that they do in fact cater ads depending on the user’s profile

When you input your information in websites, they can easily sell those to companies that need it

Phones and the internet have become such a huge part of our lives that we can not even imagine spending a day without it but in the process we might be sacrificing too much of our privacy

[Volimack]

Accessing data has become much easier through the use of smart phones. We use different websites and different information is given on different sites and Google easily accesses the information by inputting them. Apps are collecting information and secretly sending it to certain servers. Apps can collect data even when not running. Therefore it is better to use caution when using smart phones.

[rodskee]

Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data
Governments have been secretly tracking the app activity of an unknown number of people using Apple and Google smartphones, US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) revealed today.

In a letter demanding that the Department of Justice update or repeal policies prohibiting companies from informing the public about these covert government requests, Wyden warned that "Apple and Google are in a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps."

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/apple-admits-to-secretly-giving-governments-push-notification-data/

Looks like Apple phones, despiste of "Privacy, thats Apple" slogan, are giving all notifications data to governments.

Our phones are becoming a Surveillance tool...

Lol if you are using gadgets now and putting your details in any forms don't expect
maintaining your privacy because there are none,either apple or Android phones
every each of them are surely giving our details if not to the government but in third
parties so we cannot hide by all means .

[Medusah]

Enjoy your life.  Live the moment, not through fake attention.  Try living like in the 80s to the 90s.  You will love it, I bet.

I do love the music and culture of 80s and 90s, but people need to move on.  Browsing on smartphones is an important part of our lives nowadays.  It may seem a simple statement to you, but to me, that is almost equal to leaving society and start living in a mountain alone.

You do not need to upload stories on Instragram, though, I agree.

[Mehedi72]

It's shocking for many apple users around the world who used to believe that, only apple values their privacy and not share data anywhere. But finally the things get reveal and its now proved that how our data is used by apple when they claim themself secured and presents privacy ecosystem. But what would apple do? without dealing Governments, they won't continue themselves freely. And governments always use such organizations to track us which isn't new. I don't know if apple share our data with only their govt. Or worldwide?!