Apple

Apple has admitted it scans iPhone images for pictures of children being abused. It says it will refuse any government request to use the facility for other purposes. The scans cover any photos uploaded to the iCloud Photos backup service rather ... than scanning the entire phone. This feature is switched off by default. Once it's switched on, any photo added to the device is automatically uploaded to iCloud and will therefore be covered by the new scans. When Apple scans the image, it doesn't try to figure out the content. Instead it compares it to a database of known child abuse images. If it ... (view more)

Just one in eight iPhone and iPad users have agreed to let an app track them online. They've been able to make the decision since Apple changed its rules, to the dismay of advertisers. The change is to the way iOS handles a tag known as Identifier ... for Advertisers (IDFA). It identifies an individual device and allows advertisers to piece together information from multiple sources and activities. While advertisers argue this allows for better targeted and thus more relevant (and less annoying) ads, users and privacy groups have objected to what they see as surveillance and snooping. The change ... (view more)

Apple has been fined the equivalent of $12 million USD over "aggressive and misleading" claims about the water resistance of iPhones. An Italian regulator said its advertising wasn't clear enough and that a disclaimer tricked clients. The fine of 10 ... million Euros came from Italy's Competition and Market Authority which regulates consumer issues. It took issue with two ways Apple promotes and disclaims the water resistance. (Source: reuters.com ) The first issue was with the way Apple marketed eight iPhone models as being water resistant up to a certain depth (between one and four meters ... (view more)

Apple is reportedly working on its own search engine and may ditch its reliance on Google. The Apple tool could be pitched on the idea of increased user privacy. At the moment, Apple devices such as iPhones and software such as the Safari browser ... usually runs searches through Google by default. That's not just because Apple think it's the best search engine, but because Google pays Apple an annual fee reported to be in the region of $10 billion to be the default. (Source: ft.com ) That payment may be under threat with regulators looking into claims that such deals perpetuate an unfair ... (view more)

Apple is suing a recycling company it suspects of reselling more than 100,000 devices rather than disposing of them. It warns they may have been rebuilt with counterfeit components that pose a safety risk. In a three year period, Apple sent more ... than 500,000 iPads, iPhones and Apple Watches to GEEP Canada for recycling. However, it later carried out a security audit and discovered Apple products were being stored at the recycling center in a separate location, and that this location wasn't covered by security cameras. Apple then checked its database and scanned online where it found 18 ... (view more)

Apple is to compensate customers after claims it intentionally slowed down old iPhones to make people more likely to upgrade. Each person eligible in the class action lawsuit will get around $25, but Apple isn't formally admitting any wrongdoing. ... Back in 2017 Apple admitted it had intentionally slowed down the performance of old iPhones through a software update. However, it denied this was a marketing move and instead said it was a necessary step to extend the lifespan of ageing batteries of older iPhones . Specifically it said sudden spikes in processor demand could cause older batteries to ... (view more)

Apple has promised to warn users when a software update could slow down their iPhone or decrease battery life. It follows concerns from a government agency. The effects of iOS updates on phone performance has long been a controversial topic for ... Apple. Critics accused it of deliberately limiting the performance of older phones to encourage users to upgrade to newly released handsets, with some even producing what they called "diagnostic evidence." Apple has always denied this accusation. It says reduced performance such as decreasing battery life may simply be the cumulative effect ... (view more)

The Supreme Court has ruled that lower courts can hear a case claiming Apple's pricing policy for its apps breaches anti-trust laws . The claimants say Apple has a monopoly, and its mandatory commission drives up prices unfairly. The case centers on ... two main differences between apps on Apple mobile devices and those on rival systems such as Google's Android. The first is that it is virtually impossible to install an app on an iPhone or iPad from a sources other than the official iTunes App Store - something Apple cites as being important for security reasons. The second is that publishers ... (view more)

Apple has been fined US $6.6 million after remotely disabling iPhones that had been repaired independently. Regulators ruled it was wrong to claim the phone owners have violated their repair warranties. The ruling came in a court case brought by the ... Australian Competitor and Consumer Commission. It's similar to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) but with a more emphasis on protecting consumer rights. The case stemmed from a 2016 software update that disabled "unidentified" touch sensors, a part of the phone screen. With the sensor disabled, it became impossible to use the phone as it ... (view more)

iPhones will now automatically share precise location details with 911 operators during emergency calls. It's part of an overhaul of the emergency phone system for the mobile age. The change will come in iOS12, the next edition of the Apple ... operating system, which will be released this fall. It means that by default the location is transmitted when the phone makes an emergency call. Apple says the data collected and shared in this process will only ever be used for emergencies. (Source: theverge.com ) Precise Location Uses Multiple Sources It builds on a 2015 Apple feature called Hybridized ... (view more)