Apple has the best privacy amongst all of the video streaming providers

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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
The Apple TV and Apple TV+ provided the best privacy among streaming hardware and services, though some of its policies aren't entirely transparent, according to a new report.

Credit: Apple
Credit: Apple


Nonprofit organization Common Sense Media recently published a report detailing the privacy of both streaming apps and devices, ranking each service and hardware device on a number of criteria -- including whether they sell data, serve targeted ads, or create a profile of viewers.

Both the Apple TV devices and the Apple TV+ streaming service had high levels of privacy compared to rivals like Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku Streaming Stick+, and Nvidia Shield TV, according to the report.

Apple received a 79% privacy rating for its hardware set-top box because of its data collection policy. The Apple TV box was also the only streaming device to receive a "pass" rating, while all other services had a "warning" rating attached to them.

However, Common Sense Media points out that Google TV actually had the highest overall privacy rating -- 81% -- because "Google TV had a more transparent policy despite engaging in some worse privacy practices." Google TV received a "warning" and not a pass.

The nonprofit organization points out that Apple doesn't "provide any information about how they protect student data privacy if these product is used in K-12 schools and districts."

Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+, also received a 79% and a "pass" rating by Common Sense Media. The organization says that's because it's the only streaming service with "privacy built-in by design." Like with its hardware, Apple did not receive the highest numerical score because it doesn't detail student data privacy.

As far as other streaming services, Netflix actually received the worse score with 46%. That's because it targets users with advertisements and tracks them across other apps and services. Hulu came in second-to-last with 53% because it sold user data, tracks users, and targets ads.

As with the Google TV, YouTube TV ranked highest numerically but still had a "warning" rating. In third place was Disney+ with a 68% privacy rating. Common Sense Media says that's because it sells user data, targets users with ads, and tracks users.

Common Sense Media put together the report by completing a comprehensive 150-point inspection of each device's or service's privacy policy. The full report is available here.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    Oh please give me a break… Apple and their Bogus Mantra of Privacy.
    Onece they openly admit to their mass surveillance initiative being a full F-up and a massive blunder… and announce the plan is fully abandoned …. maybe  and only maybe then they may regain my confidence. 

    Shame on Apple for disrespecting and treating their customers like sheep!
    They need to openly admit to the blunder and apologize! 

    baconstang
  • Reply 2 of 5
    Oh please give me a break… Apple and their Bogus Mantra of Privacy.
    Onece they openly admit to their mass surveillance initiative being a full F-up and a massive blunder… and announce the plan is fully abandoned …. maybe  and only maybe then they may regain my confidence. 

    Shame on Apple for disrespecting and treating their customers like sheep!
    They need to openly admit to the blunder and apologize! 
    Mighty load of nonsense, right there. Apple has done CSAM child porn hash scanning since at least 2020, joining Google, Microsoft, Dropbox, Tumblr, et al. It isn’t a privacy issue whatsoever. Putting it on device could have even added privacy, as they wouldn’t have known how many hits you got until the threshold was met. 

    Some of you really aren’t very good with nuance, eh? Fear not, plenty of room for you in the lower decks.

    https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-icloud-photos-for-child-abuse-images/ ;

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/photodna

    https://protectingchildren.google/intl/en

    edited September 2021 patchythepirateslow n easychasmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 5
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,303member
    Putting aside the PeaNUT Gallery’s attempt to drag CSAM into this — this is what I have been advising my clients for years. Buy a smart TV, hook it up to your WiFi, get any firmware/tv software update that needs to be done, then disconnect the TV from the Internet and go get an Apple TV box.

    You still have to deal with the nefarious policies of any services you decide to sign up for (excluding Apple TV+), but at least your TV and your streaming device is not collecting massive amounts of rather intimate data about you, selling that data, and showing you ADDITIONAL ads …
    muthuk_vanalingamStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 5
    chasm said:
    Putting aside the PeaNUT Gallery’s attempt to drag CSAM into this — this is what I have been advising my clients for years. Buy a smart TV, hook it up to your WiFi, get any firmware/tv software update that needs to be done, then disconnect the TV from the Internet and go get an Apple TV box.

    You still have to deal with the nefarious policies of any services you decide to sign up for (excluding Apple TV+), but at least your TV and your streaming device is not collecting massive amounts of rather intimate data about you, selling that data, and showing you ADDITIONAL ads …
    One other consideration for Netflix 4K on Apple TV seems the main account login for watching is unable to delete history - alt users (and history) seem to be able to be deleted by the admin...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 5
    badmonkbadmonk Posts: 1,295member
    Also it is important to note that SmartTVs are so inexpensive because they are harvesting data and selling your viewing habits as a service.
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