A bit offtopic, but the following is my basis for interpreting privacy-related claims from Apple.
I noticed a text editor I bought from the Mac App Store, iA Writer, includes silent spyware that transmits your activity back to the developer without notice or consent (thank you, Little Snitch). Apparently, I "consented" to this in the Mac App Store ToS (right).
When I left a negative review on the app, their response was "we aren't doing anything not permitted by Apple in the App Store".
I don't use App Store apps any longer, and I take most of what Apple says about privacy with a huge grain of salt.
PS: OSX phones home to Apple in about a dozen different ways even with iCloud entirely disabled and all reporting/telemetry/feedback options turned off during the OOBE/setup. Try doing booting a fresh install of macOS with Little Snitch, but disable the Apple/OS exemption in Little Snitch's rules. I was astounded. Dozens of things.
I wonder if there's any major, widespread GUI OS in a default configuration that does not transmit to your ISP and third parties (including government snoops) when you open a local text file to write. I block all of these requests; most do not.
I noticed a text editor I bought from the Mac App Store, iA Writer, includes silent spyware that transmits your activity back to the developer without notice or consent (thank you, Little Snitch). Apparently, I "consented" to this in the Mac App Store ToS (right).
When I left a negative review on the app, their response was "we aren't doing anything not permitted by Apple in the App Store".
I don't use App Store apps any longer, and I take most of what Apple says about privacy with a huge grain of salt.
PS: OSX phones home to Apple in about a dozen different ways even with iCloud entirely disabled and all reporting/telemetry/feedback options turned off during the OOBE/setup. Try doing booting a fresh install of macOS with Little Snitch, but disable the Apple/OS exemption in Little Snitch's rules. I was astounded. Dozens of things.
I wonder if there's any major, widespread GUI OS in a default configuration that does not transmit to your ISP and third parties (including government snoops) when you open a local text file to write. I block all of these requests; most do not.
I am reminded of Winston Smith's paper journal.