Apple's differential privacy in iOS 10 is opt-in, limited to four use cases

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
The new data collection method set to roll out in iOS 10 will require users to opt in, and will be limited to four specific system functions, according to Apple.




Those include new words added to local dictionaries and emojis entered by users, the latter so that Apple can suggest emoji replacements, the company explained to Re/code. The other two are deep links within apps, as long as they're marked for public indexing, and lookup hints inside Notes.

All four are being safeguarded by differential privacy, a concept that introduces "noise" into big data so that broad trends can be analyzed without making it possible to identify individual sources. Apple first announced its use of the technology when it revealed iOS 10 at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The company has often railed against data collection when attacking competitors like Google, and indeed many of the predictive functions in iOS 9 and 10 are processed entirely on-device for this reason.

Other companies -- including Google -- have implemented differential privacy in the past, but Apple's use is believed to be the first on a wide scale.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    nostrathomasnostrathomas Posts: 90member
    I wonder if this opt-in will pop up during an OS install, or will it just be in Settings, waiting.

    If it's the latter, hardly anybody will opt in.
    calicornchip
  • Reply 2 of 7
    leavingthebiggleavingthebigg Posts: 1,291member
    Anyone remember when there were articles written about how Apple's decision to respect user privacy "caused" several Apple employees to quit the company with anger and disgust? Has anyone heard anything about these employees since they quit Apple? Now Apple reveals its AI strategy that is grounded with privacy. This is something Apple's competitors do not care about.
    lolliverlatifbp
  • Reply 3 of 7
    rhoninrhonin Posts: 60member
    This is considered "wide scale"?  Is it just me or does this seem like Apple is turning this into a marketing phrase vs. what the original descriptors intended?
    gatorguy
  • Reply 4 of 7
    TyrellCorpseTyrellCorpse Posts: 7member
    Does Apple still store Siri searches for 6 months?  I think Wired did an extensive report about it.rhonin said:
  • Reply 5 of 7
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    TyrellCorpse said:
    Does Apple still store Siri searches for 6 months?  I think Wired did an extensive report about it.rhonin said:

    Said what?
  • Reply 6 of 7
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    cali said:
    TyrellCorpse said:
    Does Apple still store Siri searches for 6 months?  I think Wired did an extensive report about it.rhonin said:

    Said what?
    Actually Apple said it was two years not 6 months but why does it matter really?. It's no concern for anyone since it's anonymized, not linked to any particular person, and secondly has no connection to this thread and its topic anyway. 
    jony0
  • Reply 7 of 7
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    This tech is pretty interesting. I imagine a boy named 'X' holding a 'red panda balloon'. Apple is still interested in the "red, panda and balloon" so that they can improve their service but they cut the thread that connect it to the boy - including his name, his location and his friend's name, so anything that has connection between the balloon and X is gone. Unlike Google who is more interested in everything about "X" and his connection with the balloon.


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