iPhone users, what are your thoughts about the privacy concerns highlighted in these videos?
In Spite of Its Ads, It’s Quacking Like a Duck
iPhones. Explaining Advanced Surveillance Features!
Anyone uses an Android device with a privacy focused OS?
The videos seem to be the same, judging by the intro of the second.
I don’t see anything to be concerned about.
TL;DR: Apple knows where your phone is. Phones can talk to each other and share info. Apple knows your Apple ID. Wifi can be used to locate your phone. Photos can be scanned on your phone for face identification, etc.
Reality: Phone companies know where your phone is too. Info unique to your phone is shared every time you use wifi. ISPs know where you connect to wifi from. Photos sent to cloud services can be scanned by providers.
These things are true whether you’re using an iPhone, Windows phone, or a landline (the phone company knows where landlines are).
Solution: don’t carry or use a phone.
My quick notes at 2x speed:
- Surveillance
- Air Tags
- If I (Braxman) get de-platformed, go to this place where I’m a creator
- Braxman also sells services that would benefit from fear-mongering
- Merch available
- Air Tags - BLE network mesh, each can operate as:
- Broadcaster
- Forwarder
- Observer
- Multicast
- Encrypted
- Phone never off
- Can transmit on BLE when off
- only stops when battery is dead
- Find My
- Apple controls it
- Phones send beacon on BLE
- Constant location sent to Apple
- iPhone location sent to Apple
- 24/7 wifi scanning
- wifi triangulation
- Apple creates database of location of all wifi routers
- also identifies phone location
- Client-side scanning
- Reporting illegal images
- “scan your phone”
- Can’t aid in surveillance, but they do
- Command sent through mesh BLE
- Encryption lie
- apple msg: air tag safe due to encryption
- packet comes from phone, not air tag
- end point is apple, apple can see what is sent
- side channel info, could send Apple ID, etc.
- Timing of apple privacy ad
- intended to blunt impact of apple’s policies already in place
4 Likes
In my opinion this is not a problem with apple hardware or software but with connectivity (always on). So your phone company, the big tech companies , your car manufacturer if it is connected,… “ Thea all know all kind of location and other data.
+1 for “I don’t see anything to be concerned about.”
You cannot communicate without giving up your location data. And in a growing number of communities, where the authorities use license plate scanners, you cannot drive your car without your location being logged.
I believe that protecting our privacy is important to Apple. But they are the most valuable company in the world, so I also believe there is a limit to how much they will spend to protect our privacy. (Did I mention I can be a bit cynical?). In any event, I agree with Scott McNealy who stated back in 1999 “You have zero privacy anyway…Get over it!".
I’ve spent some time on the edge of “the grid”. No data, almost zero cell coverage, and no running water. But plenty of privacy. 
I don’t recall the details, but when I took a citizens law enforcement class, they talked about expectations of privacy. As I recall, if you’re not home/inside and where you can’t be seen through a window, there is none. I would expect this includes bouncing lasers off window panes to monitor conversations, as the pane is “outside”. But that last bit is speculation.
I used to try to add intrigue to my life by using PGP for email for things no one cared about, etc.
My philosophy now: Live life to the fullest. Control what you can. Don’t be mean.
3 Likes
I am not a lawyer, as they say, but privacy law can get pretty complex. I think you’re geenerally right, but for those interested in the details: Privacy laws of the United States - Wikipedia and Privacy law - Wikipedia
You cannot avoid this while being connected to the Internet. Somehow someone will know, where you are, what you are doing…
This is an “all in” approach. People often see such videos or read articles about privacy and then run head first into this topic without thinking about the consequences.
What maps app would you use? What email app? What email provider? Privacy is a deep and endless hole.
But no matter what steps you take, it comes down to trust. You have to trust your internet provider, you have to trust the ones who make the OS…
IMHO Apple showed on several occasions that they are working to improve privacy on their devices. Are they doing a great job? No. But they are trying. Compare it to Google or Microsoft. I chose to trust Apple. I’m using Adguard for anti-tracking and adblocking. I use private relay. I use Duckduckgo as much as possible. But I still need Google maps sometimes, I still need Google search sometimes. I still need my Microsoft rig for gaming. So I think it is a better approach to not dive into the topic headfirst but make small adjustments step by step to get a smaller footprint.