A Gizmodo exclusive report detailing Apple data collection led to a fourth class-action lawsuit since its publishing in November 2022. According to the report, Apple continues to collect user data even when your privacy settings show otherwise. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s data collection policies, the lawsuits, and how it affects you.
Apple hasn’t responded to the data lawsuit.
Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry, two software developers, found several iPhone apps tracked data after turning off iPhone Analytics. Apple explicitly writes in the settings that turning off iPhone Analytics will disable your device from tracking your data. However, it seems that is far from the case.
“Opting-out […] did not reduce the amount of detailed analytics that the app was sending,” Mysk said about the App Store. “I switched all the possible options off, namely personalized ads, personalized recommendations, and sharing usage data and analytics.”
Furthermore, some applications didn’t share any data analytics, even with permissions turned on, while others consistently tracked your data regardless. However, according to Apple’s Advertising and Privacy page, they do not consider the collection “tracking.”
However, all that means is Apple doesn’t consider their practice data tracking because it’s not linked with other companies.
Apple is also under antitrust investigation by the European Commission.
Apple is no stranger to investigations and lawsuits, as Reuters reports the company is currently under EU antitrust investigation. The European Commission alleges the company blocks access to its payment service technology. Additionally, the UK’s Competition Markets Authority raised concerns over Apple’s dominance in the digital application market.
Additionally, a bug in the recent iPhone 16.3 update possibly allowed apps to collect your location data without permission.
