The iPhone maker Apple has launched its online tool for the users in the United States and some other countries with the help of which the users can download, change or delete all the data that the iPhone maker has collected on them.
Apple has updated its privacy website with the tool, which was rolled out earlier this year for users in the European Union. With this, the iPhone maker will now let users in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand see and download all information that Apple has collected on them.
It also plans to roll out the same tool for all users aosscr the globe by the end of the year. Apple devices such as the iPhone or Apple Watch collect detailed data about users, such as whom they email, call or text message and even biometric data such as heart rates and fingerprints.
But Apple’s practice has been to keep much of that data on the devices themselves and encrypt it with the user’s pass code, which mean that Apple does not possess the data and cannot unscramble it if asked to do so by law enforcement officials.
The CEO of Apple Tim Cook said the Apple “wouldn’t be in this situation” earlier this year when Facebook came under scrutiny for the misuse of its data by Cambridge Analytica. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg in turn called Cook’s comments “extremely glib.”
Apple does collect and store some data about its users. With these updates to its privacy website, the company is seeking to better explain those instances. Along with this, Apple also expanded its guide for users on how to modify and adjust their privacy settings.