APPLE STRENGTHENS PRIVACY
© APPLE CORP, WESTERN DIGITAL
Hides your IP address HIdes your location Hides if you open emails
Masked IPs, a VPN, and more
APPLE, keen to be seen as a protector of privacy, has introduced new security features. We have App Privacy Report, a new section in Settings on iOS that shows what each app has requested access to and where your data has been shared. Also, Siri will no longer send your voice off to a server for processing, but do it locally (minus web searches). Safari will block your IP address, as will Apple Mail, so marketers can’t track where emails go. Apple’s iCloud Plus subscribers also get Private Relay, an encrypted VPN of sorts, as well as Hide My Email, which enables you to create random email addresses when subscribing to online services, so you don’t reveal your direct address. Neat. Cynicism aside, this is a solid set of features on keeping tabs on who has your data. The only fly in the ointment is China, where Apple has dropped Private Relay. Such privacy is illegal in China without a government license. It’s also where Apple makes 15 percent of its revenue, and assembles its iPhones.