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Apple Launches New Data and Privacy Website

Wednesday May 23, 2018 3:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple has launched a new Data & Privacy website that includes an option for Apple users to download all the data associated with their Apple ID account that the company keeps on its servers.

The data download that users are able to request includes purchase and app usage history, calendars, reminders, photos, and documents stored in iCloud, Apple Music and Game Center statistics, marketing history, and AppleCare support history.

The data download option arrives before the GDPR deadline and is currently limited to Apple accounts registered in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, but Apple says it will roll out the service worldwide "in the coming months".

We've compiled a separate how-to outlining the steps involved in requesting the data. If you live in a country or region that's not listed above, you can still contact Apple to request a copy of your data.

The new Data & Privacy site also includes links that customers can use to update their account details, temporarily deactivate their account, or delete it permanently.

Tag: privacy

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

zoomp

15 months ago

Happy to have Europe leading the world for a change.

Rating: 21 Votes

ersan191

15 months ago

I've been reading some articles about the data dumps you can get recently. Just in terms of sheer volume, Apple had about 9MB of data on the person, Google had 243MB, and Facebook had 881MB. I've also seen articles from heavy Android and Chrome users where Google has over 9GB of data on them.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/05/04/asked-apple-everything-had-me-heres-what-got/558362002/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/28/all-the-data-facebook-google-has-on-you-privacy

The amount of stuff Google logs is incredibly creepy.

Rating: 13 Votes

martyjmclean

15 months ago

Everyone should be moving away from that corrupt cabal. They are directly tied in with the globalist elite and have zero of your best interests in mind. You'll find out later why Tim Cook has been meeting with the President more than 'usual' for someone of his stature. He's being warned.

Take off your Alfoil hat.

Rating: 11 Votes

zantafio

15 months ago

Thank God the European Union is a much bigger market than the USA and now we all benefit from their consumers friendly laws because we all know the US Congress would have never come up with something like the GDPR, not even close.

Rating: 9 Votes

DNichter

15 months ago

Good. I know no company is perfect when it comes to privacy protections, not even Apple, but I am glad to see them working to make this stuff clearer and more transparent to its users. Compared to Google, who's sole purpose for existing is data mining and advertising, I feel much more comfortable with my data in the hands of Apple. Hopefully they continue on this path.

Rating: 7 Votes

MLVC

15 months ago

Considering Apple's file size options, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Apple logs a ton of data too. As with everything, YMMV based on length of time and amount of use.

That could be if you include photos, files and mail

Rating: 4 Votes

asdavis10

15 months ago

What good the GDPR hath wrought. Definitely a move in the right direction in this age of digital transparency.

Although I'm uncertain as to why one would need to temporarily deactivate their account. It's not like a social media account.

Rating: 4 Votes

trusso

15 months ago

My advice to anyone who is very concerned about this is 1) Get a flip phone and/or landline. 2) Get a TV antenna and only watch what is broadcasted. 3) Purchase only CDs and vinyl records in a store or listen to FM or AM radio. 4) Read paper newspapers and do your research at a library by only using books and a microfiche. 5) Buy a road atlas and disable all GPS functions if your flip phone has them. 6) Send paper letters and mail all bills at the post office.

There now your privacy is fully protected!

I take it you're positing these steps somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the fact of the matter is, these are all good methods for protecting one's privacy (though the resourceful investigator might still be able to piece together some of your offline tracks). Living in this manner would not be much different than how we lived as recently as the 1980s (and some of the older among us, I am sure, still live this way).

The implication, of course, is that all these attempted circumventions in the name of privacy are terribly inconvenient – but as a general rule, I fail to agree with that argument. I am inclined to believe that many of the individuals who live in such a manner would (and do) find themselves much the better for it. No longer bombarded by information overload from digital cable or the internet, writing letters and making phone calls only to the people who really matter to him/her, taking time to actually enjoy a book, album, or drive through town; in essence, living intentionally and being able to wink at such little faults that we all have, since he/she is at peace with one's self.

Rather than see such antiquated habits as an inconvenience, I think that many of us, once we have looked beyond the haze of propaganda in modern culture, would find it a "consummation devoutly to be wished."

Rating: 4 Votes