Apple is one of the least intrusive tech companies, according to new research released by the StockApps last Monday (22). The survey data indicate that Google is the big tech that most collects different types of data from its users, followed by Twitter, Amazon and Meta.
The graph below shows that the search giant collects 39 types of information — unspecified — from its users. Note that the graph does not reveal the volume of data collected in each category, so the study focuses on specifying data categories quantitatively. This can include location, browsing history, and more.
The research methodology was not revealed. and leaves several questions about how the mentioned tech companies handle the data collected from their users. Google, as is well known, uses information to send targeted ads to users with Google Ads, so most of its services are free.
The Mountain View company admits that it uses information to create targeted advertising, but reiterates that it does not sell personal data — such as name, date of birth, etc. — for advertising companies.
Advertising allows us to offer our products at no financial cost, as well as helping partner websites and apps fund their content. But your personal information is not for sale. We maintain the confidentiality of your data at all times during the ad serving process.
While Apple sticks to an image of a “privacy company” and implements more secure features so that the user experience is personalized, in multiple cases, the US giant has been involved in court cases that signal a lack of transparency in tracking, collection and use of data from its users.
When Apple processes or stores data on our servers, it is associated with a random identifier — a long series of letters and numbers. This data is only used to improve Siri, and we never share or sell it. Apple does not retain audio from your orders unless you choose to share it with us to improve Siri.
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The study also does not detail the data collected by Facebook, nor whether the survey covers all Meta platforms. In January, Mark Zuckerberg’s company was sued for collecting user data beyond what is stated in its terms and conditions of use – including pages likes and more relevant publications.
The fact is, today’s big tech companies need user information to profit from their business models, and so far, no way of tracking audiences is completely secure. Google tried to make its collection method more private, but ended up facing criticism from several entities in the field.
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