Help Apple Improve Search Privacy Issue

[dialogos]

I just noticed that the "Help Apps Improve Search" setting was enabled on my iOS and macOS devices, even though I never turned it on.

According to Apple, they collect search data in a way that does not personally identify users.

However, many of my Spotlight searches within my locally saved documents include +first and last name, a case and sometimes a clinic name as well.

How is this not identifiable? Even if Apple doesn't link my Spotlight searches to my Apple ID, they still collect a significant amount of personal information that I never willingly shared.

Can someone more tech-savvy explain how this works?

 

[01cowherd]

They claim they don’t collect files and content from your local device.

This information does not include search results that show files or content on your device

Source: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/siri-suggestions-search/

But they also say they collect what apps you use, which seems like it would be a relatively stable identifier if they send all your apps. It’s the same issue I have with Siri’s data collection. They say they log info from the requests, including contacts and apps, but it’s not really clear if they’re collecting every contact on every request, which would be a very stable identifier. So I disable all of it.

 

[dialogos]

They claim they don’t collect files and content from your local device.

Source: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/siri-suggestions-search/

But they also say they collect what apps you use, which seems like it would be a relatively stable identifier if they send all your apps. It’s the same issue I have with Siri’s data collection. They say they log info from the requests, including contacts and apps, but it’s not really clear if they’re collecting every contact on every request, which would be a very stable identifier. So I disable all of it.

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it!

I read the link, but I still don’t understand what they’re collecting. Even if it’s not my files, my spotlight searches contain private information, like First Name, Last Name, Clinic, Case, which I never authorized Apple to access. I never enabled this—Apple did, without warning users. I disabled it immediately after noticing.

PS.
I spoke with Apple and the representative clearly stated that the text I enter in spotlight can be collected. To me, this is already a serious breach of privacy.

 

[01cowherd]

I spoke with Apple and the representative clearly stated that the text I enter in spotlight can be collected. To me, this is already a serious breach of privacy.

Yeah I agree. Apple seems to be hiding behind the fact that it’s “anonymous”, but it’s still a big breach of privacy and it’s probably not truly anonymous (“anonymous” datasets get reidentified all the time by researchers).

 

[Reverend Benny]

I hate all the data collection stuff that goes on, but the least I worry about (at the moment) is what Apple collects.
Apps, ISP, Internet browsing and search history and all other services that you are using are prob a lot worse than Apple's data collecting activities.

But having said that, its today. It can change over night depending on who's in charge in the country where you are located or if laws change in the country where they are located.

That's my main worry, the quick turns that we see today.

 

[dialogos]

I hate all the data collection stuff that goes on, but the least I worry about (at the moment) is what Apple collects.
Apps, ISP, Internet browsing and search history and all other services that you are using are prob a lot worse than Apple's data collecting activities.

But having said that, its today. It can change over night depending on who's in charge in the country where you are located or if laws change in the country where they are located.

That's my main worry, the quick turns that we see today.

While I completely agree with your post, my concern in this case is what Apple collects, especially since it includes health data. I want to understand this better.

When I search for locally stored files on external drives that may contain health data, my ISP has no access to them. I never authorized Apple to know, for example, if Maria Smith has endometriosis. I use spotlight to search by name and case, and according to Apple, that information is sent to them.