Apple has unveiled new privacy features to comply with the implementation of GDPR, which comes into effect on 25 May.
CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, said that the tech giant will roll out four privacy management tools that will provide users the ability to obtain a copy of their data, request a correction of data and deactivate account or delete the account.
The tools, which will be available on the Apple ID account page, will be introduced in the EU in May and later rolled out globally. Apart from deactivating the account, all other three tasks can be done already by filling online forms or calling AppleCare, he said.
Implementing GDPR aims to give citizens within the EU more control over their information and how companies use it. Those businesses that fail to comply with the GDPR will face fines of up to 4% of their annual revenue.
As part of the privacy features, rolled out as part of software upgrade to iOS 11.3, an icon appears on devices to show if the customer’s data is being used by applications.
The iPhone and iPad software now feature privacy icons that appear when an Apple feature seeks to use personal data. These icons will be seen as part of setup and the user can notice them in various features. The privacy icons also appear in the latest versions of MacOS computer software and tvOS software for Apple TVs.
Along with the software update, Apple’s website will also be updated, explaining the changes.
Criticising Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook said that the social media giant failed to effectively regulate itself, prompting government intervention, following the Cambridge Analytica Facebook incident.
Responding to questions during a Recode-MSNBC Revolution event, Cook said: “The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetised our customer, if our customer was our product. We’ve elected not to do that.”
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In January, Facebook said it would launch a new privacy centre to group its privacy settings in one place and comply with the GDPR.
Apple said that it has ‘privacy by design’ embedded into its products and software and takes measures to minimise the amount of data it collects. Cook said: “We are for privacy. Your information is yours and you should keep it.”
