Apple revamps 'Privacy' site to sell customers on benefits of tech like encryption & differential privacy

Apple on Wednesday updated its "Privacy" minisite, reorganizing it to better communicate what the company does to safeguard personal data on its various hardware and software platforms.

The site calls privacy a "fundamental human right," and explains the policies underlying systems like passcodes, Touch ID, Apple Pay, and app permissions. One section addresses "differential privacy," a technology Apple has adopted for mass data collection. A recent research paper crticized Apple's algorithms, claiming they allow too much specific data to pass through — something the company denies.

More app- and service-specific detail is provided on a page titled "Our approach to privacy,", while another — "Manage your privacy" — guides people through setting up passcodes, Touch ID, two-factor authentication, and avoiding phishing and other scams.

A third page covers Apple's transparency reports, which are published every six months and cover government and private requests for personal data, though only what the company is legally allowed to admit to.

The "approach to privacy" page notably contains a link to a Face ID white paper (PDF), which explains the parameters of the iPhone X's Touch ID replacement — such as how and when it's used, and the limits of diagnostics sharing.