Apple has released a report concerning Government information requests. In the report Apple makes known its disapproval of the way the Government collects and requests information. They also state while they value the privacy of their users they operate under the law that is in place and abide by what it says. The report also gives examples of requests the Government has made to Apple, although they can only give numbers out on a “broad” scope (see images below). Here’s just a portion of the report which is linked to at the bottom of this post.
We believe that our customers have a right to understand how their personal
information is handled, and we consider it our responsibility to provide them
with the best privacy protections available. Apple has prepared this report on
the requests we receive from governments seeking information about individual
users or devices in the interest of transparency for our customers around
the world.
This report provides statistics on requests related to customer accounts as well
as those related to specific devices. We have reported all the information we
are legally allowed to share, and Apple will continue to advocate for greater
transparency about the requests we receive.
Apple offers customers a single, straightforward privacy policy that covers every
Apple product. Customer privacy is a consideration from the earliest stages of
design for all our products and services. We work hard to deliver the most secure
hardware and software in the world, including such innovative security solutions
as Find My iPhone and Touch ID, which have made the iPhone both more secure
and more convenient.
Perhaps most important, our business does not depend on collecting personal
data. We have no interest in amassing personal information about our customers.
We protect personal conversations by providing end-to-end encryption over
iMessage and FaceTime. We do not store location data, Maps searches, or Siri
requests in any identifiable form.
At the time of this report, the U.S. government does not allow Apple to
disclose, except in broad ranges, the number of national security orders, the
number of accounts affected by the orders, or whether content, such as emails,
was disclosed. We strongly oppose this gag order, and Apple has made the case
for relief from these restrictions in meetings and discussions with the White
House, the U.S. Attorney General, congressional leaders, and the courts. Despite
our extensive efforts in this area, we do not yet have an agreement that we feel
adequately addresses our customers’ right to know how often and under what
circumstances we provide data to law enforcement agencies.
Hit the link below for the full report.
Apple Report On Government Requests
Last Updated on January 23, 2017.
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