Apple Says 'Privacy Matters' in Humorous New iPhone Ad

Apple today shared a new privacy-focused iPhone ad on its YouTube channel. The ad will premiere tonight and air through March Madness in the United States before expanding to select other markets globally.


The 45-second video starts with the tagline "privacy matters" and then shows a variety of humorous if not slightly awkward situations where people would want their privacy protected in everyday life. In one scene, for example, two men briefly pause their conversation while a waitress is at their table.

"If privacy matters in your life, it should matter to the phone your life is on," the ad concludes. "Privacy. That's ‌iPhone‌."

The ad arrives around six weeks after a major FaceTime bug was uncovered that allowed one person to call another person over FaceTime and listen to that other person's audio without the call being answered. Apple fixed the bug in iOS 12.1.4 and apologized, but it certainly wasn't good for its reputation.

Apple similarly promoted its privacy stance with a billboard near CES 2019 in Las Vegas that read "what happens on your ‌iPhone‌, stays on your ‌iPhone‌."

applelasvegasbillboard
Bugs aside, Apple really does place an emphasis on privacy, especially compared to some other tech giants like Facebook. Apple has long said it believes privacy is a "fundamental human right," and as part of that, it aims to minimize its collection of customer data and disassociate it from an individual user when it does.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
88 months ago
This was really well done. It's so true that people don't even want a stranger leering at them for more than a few seconds or standing too close to their conversation before feeling very uncomfortable, and yet so many people don't bat an eye that all of their personal photos and information are being spread all over the internet. It's this really weird disconnect and I think this commercial does a pretty good job capturing that.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
88 months ago
This is a strong suit for Apple, is privacy. They need to market what they value, it’s not just about the hardware, it’s about valuing the consumers security in today’s digital era of cyber crime. No other smart manufacturer values the consumers privacy and security the way Apple does, period. It’s one of the core reasons why I choose to support Apple.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
88 months ago
Classic Tim Cook/Apple doublespeak.

Until you stop demanding billions from Google there Timmy your supposed “Stance on Privacy” is nothing more than hot air and ********
Well good thing you can change your default search engine.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KPandian1 Avatar
88 months ago
Then they should fire every Google and FaceBook App in their "store".
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
88 months ago
Classic Tim Cook/Apple doublespeak.

Until you stop demanding billions from Google there Timmy your supposed “Stance on Privacy” is nothing more than hot air and ********
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
photographypro Avatar
88 months ago
If Apple is so concerned about privacy, WHY can't you reply to a FaceTime call in AUDIO ONLY mode?

I've requested this for YEARS on Apple's website. Maybe you're not dressed or in the bathroom or having a bad hair day. SO SIMPLE to implement this. Sometimes I get a FaceTime call and I WANT to talk to the person, but I don't want them to see me.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)