Apple announced a slew of updates that focus on privacy with the firm’s CEO arguing that “privacy is a human right”.
The giant tech company Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) on Monday revealed the latest version of its operating systems, focusing on high-level privacy, to serve as a distinguishing feature of its brand from other competitive products.
Apple stock yesterday closed practically without changes from the previous close, at $125.90. Today in the pre-market, following the WWDC 2021 event, the stock is 0.7% up, trading at $126.83.
Apple, better known for its high-level privacy, since 2014 following an open letter by Tim Cook on ‘privacy’ added to their iPhone features restricting app accessibility to users’ personal data.
The firm’s recent announcement has emphasized the company’s commitment to privacy-focused features, and that is also expected in its upcoming operating system, iOS 15 or MacOS Monterey.
As announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook, at the online Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at the company headquarters in Cupertino, California, on June 7, noted that the new version of its product would be exposing apps that are collecting data of users and also protect user’s IP address with the updated Mail and Safari app, while using the internet.
Among other privacy-focused features expected in the upcoming version of its product is the restriction of tracking pixels, disabling where and when messages were opened. In addition, it will also include an alternative to VPN protecting users’ identities. However, these all go a long way as it affects ad-based businesses.
“Hiding information such as IP addresses, location and whether users have opened or read emails could severely limit the way many companies track and monetize users but will be welcomed by consumers who are becoming increasingly aware of how much data is being captured,” explained he.
Cook argued that “privacy is a fundamental human right”, it is worth noting that Apple’s privacy infrastructure shows the company’s commitment to using user data protection as an advantage among other brands, such as Facebook, and Apple’s Silicon Valley neighbor who are battling poor user data handling. And due to its serious stance on user privacy, this might affect the product’s price.
Apple Private Relay Will be Unavailable in China
One of Apple’s new features, ‘private relay’, the feature hiding user’s web browsing behavior from advertisers and internet providers, would not be available in China for regulatory reasons.
China is notable for its interest to know and control how its citizens use the internet. The country, being a communal state, has a vast surveillance system which it uses to keep tabs on how its citizens use the web.
The firm also disclosed that this feature would be absent in other countries like “Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the Philippines.”
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