Apple is planning to release iOS 10.3 before long, and with that update will come several significant changes to the operating system.
I believe most of those changes will be good ones, but there’s one that concerns me.
Beginning with iOS 10.3, Apple will start “analyzing” your iCloud data to “help them improve intelligent features and services such as Siri and other similar or related services.”
In a nutshell, that means Apple will soon start scanning your email, your notes, your contacts, your photos, your calendar, Keychain, Find My iPhone, your iTunes items and all the various files you have stored on iCloud.
What’s more, if your device is running the recently released iOS 10.3 beta, they’re already scanning those items from your iCloud account as we speak.
You might disagree, but this new “iCloud Analytics” program sounds fairly ominous to me.
Of course Apple is promising to “analyze” your most personal data with only the best of intentions, and I have no doubt they are sincere about that. In fact, they explicitly promise that the program will not compromise your security and privacy.
The problem is this program could eventually expand far outside the boundaries that are set initially, especially if the company undergoes a change in management or is hit with a major security breach.
To their credit, Apple will be making it very easy to opt out of this intrusive iCloud Analytics program. Just follow the steps below AFTER your iphone, iPad or other iOS device has been updated to iOS 10.3:
1 – Tap Settings.
2 – Tap Privacy.
3 – Tap Analytics.
4 – Toggle the “Share iCloud Analytics” setting to Off.
Bottom line: I prefer keeping my personal digital life as private as possible. If you feel the same way, the steps listed above will help keep your digital life (somewhat) private as well.
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