Apple has its problems, but still the only real option for privacy

Apple didn’t start out as a privacy company, but in the more than 12 years since the iPhone 5s, it’s the only company trying to offer privacy by default. It is needed today more than ever.

You’d think that after years of success with “Privacy is the iPhone,” other smartphone and computer manufacturers would catch on. No.

No matter how many consumers vote with their wallets, everyone who isn’t Apple is chasing the idea of ​​revenue from data collection.

I remember when I started watching Apple and buying their products, this concept of privacy already existed as a core element. Encryption by default, Touch ID, passcode locks, and the idea that advertisers are the bad guys appealed on many levels.

There was a time when I would visit various nerd communities and find posts where people said, “I want Google to know everything about me. The more it knows, the better.”

At one point in early 2010, when I didn’t know any better, it seemed like a good idea. Your technology can’t work for you without knowing something about you.

I had no idea what such a convenience would cost, and in some ways I’m still picking up the pieces. Apple is the first company to alert me to what is at stake for the end user.

Privacy is a basic human right

I know it’s easy to look at today’s mega corporation Apple and become intensely cynical. CEO Tim Cook’s moves during Trump’s second term have been appealing, though there’s an argument that those moves are necessary for business.

Scratch the surface of those easy-to-write headlines, and Apple is the same company I was obsessed with circa 2014. Its commitment to user privacy and security was an obvious draw once I became aware of the abuses that can occur when companies have your data.

Once I knew what to look for, it was easy to spot all the rampant abuse. My data was transferred and used in a way that I did not consent to.

Something as simple as my commute becomes a monetizable entity. Others discovered their potential pregnancy through Amazon ads and referrals.

It’s all big when you dig into it.

Conspiracies began suggesting that their devices were recording everything they said and sending it to advertisers. The truth, funnily enough, was much more invasive.

Data collection was so efficient that hearing what you were saying to someone was less useful.

Adopting privacy as a feature

Apple hasn’t always put privacy and security first. Various advertising campaigns would tout the security of Apple products, such as showing how Macs were virus-free.

It wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. Mike Wuerthele talked to me about Scores, nVIR and a lot more from the past. But the infection rate was and is much, much lower than Windows. And they are definitely better on iPhone than Android.

The modern version of Apple’s privacy campaign didn’t really start until the iPhone 5s with Touch ID and Secure Element. That was in 2013, right before I went all-in.

Performance and redesign were a big part of the product unveiling, but Touch ID and privacy made their mark. It was the promise that your device could know everything about you while still being safe.

Touch ID was designed as a convenient tool that does not compromise security. He laid the groundwork for what would give Apple its privacy image today.

Then Apple’s promise of privacy and encryption had to stand up in court.

The San Bernardino shooting tested Apple’s commitment to protecting users, and in the end they won. For years afterward, the FBI looked for ways to backdoor iPhones, and ultimately failed.

The FBI has turned to outside entities for hacking tools that are constantly compromised by software updates on iPhones. While Apple’s ability to stand up to the government may be questioned today, its commitment to privacy and security has not wavered a decade later.

Apple is the only one that does this

There is nothing to prevent other companies from ensuring that consumer data is protected from hacking or subpoena beyond cost. Access to this user data is also useful for these companies because it can be collected, aggregated and sold.

But by accessing this data, these companies are opening the door for governments to request it. Even Apple isn’t immune to government requests, but it has much less data at its disposal, especially when Advanced Data Protection is enabled.

In a world increasingly ruled by surveillance, Apple is one of the few companies trying to make sure your data stays yours. Even other companies that have encryption on their devices don’t consistently protect data in transit or in the cloud.

Other tools like App Tracking Transparency and iCloud Private Relay go even further to ensure iPhone users stay private while browsing the web.

Meanwhile, Meta is coming up with new ways to track users. Ring wanted to turn its cameras into a police surveillance network.

Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies are being asked to hand over data to profile users as anti-ICE, or even mildly critical of the current administration. They comply.

Governments can subpoena Apple for whatever they want and Apple will comply and hand over what they have. What they have is next to nothing.

And every year Apple finds a way to have even less.

Even worse, AI asks users for everything, including their most private thoughts and data. It is one of the biggest data thefts in human history.

Meanwhile, Apple Intelligence doesn’t.

To this day, Apple is still a company I can confidently turn to for devices and services. I don’t have to worry about my personal data being mishandled because Apple doesn’t have it.

Of course, I’m not saying that other platforms can’t be more secure. Android, Windows, various services, and yes, even artificial intelligence can be private and secure.

However, you need to work on it on platforms where it is Apple’s default. And Apple’s platforms have stood up to scrutiny while others have not.

That kind of trust is hard to come by. I know of no other company in this position.