cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/198503
Apple provided governments around the world with data related to thousands of push notifications sent to its devices, which can identify a target’s specific device or in some cases include unencrypted content like the actual text displayed in the notification, according to data published by Apple. In one case, that Apple did not ultimately provide data for, Israel demanded data related to nearly 700 push notifications as part of a single request.
The data for the first time puts a concrete figure on how many requests governments around the world are making, and sometimes receiving, for push notification data from Apple.
The practice first came to light in 2023 when Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice revealing the practice, which also applied to Google. As the letter said, “the data these two companies receive includes metadata, detailing which app received a notification and when, as well as the phone and associated Apple or Google account to which that notification was intended to be delivered. In certain instances, they also might also receive unencrypted content, which could range from backend directives for the app to the actual text displayed to a user in an app notification.”
From 404 Media via this RSS feed
Yeah this is true. But I know some people who say one of the reasons they buy apple is because of privacy. Specifically because they were in the news a few years ago in court defending their on device encryption. They have a kind of Anti-government surveillance veneer because of those news stories. When the reality is, they participate in state surveillance like any other vendor. Those court cases were not even unique because you can get the same kind of encryption on Android phones as well. But there was a kind of political publicity moment happening for Apple that I think they deliberately engaged in. I think that's why stories like this crop up from time to time.
I am one of those people.
I use all kinds of stuff, Linux, windows, macos, android and ios, but I specifically use macos and ios for “everyday, public facing” kinds of activities because they make that kind of interaction doable in a very private and secure way while also not standing out.
It is important to me to both be able to use technology in a secure and private way while also not looking like an outsider to normal society. As a happy user of Linux for over 25 years, that means macos and ios.
Regardless of my own decisions and reasons for them, it’s important to recognize that the pathway apple, mullvad and other vendors have taken is the only way to allow secure and private technology to exist.
The government surveillance regime we live under is legal, not technological. Vendors are required to comply with it by law. Vendor compliance cannot be a criteria for selection of one technology or another any more than murdering police officers who pull you over can be for membership in a party.