Privacy & Security  | | January 17, 2025 | | | Hi Readers, Cullen here. I'm happy to announce that this newsletter has proven so popular that we're able to move from a monthly update to a weekly one! We'll send you a short-and-sweet summary of the latest privacy and security tips and news you need to know about every Friday. As always, we'll focus on the practical steps you can take to stay safe. For example, Apple has agreed to pay out small restitutions to everyone who owned a Siri-enabled device from 2014 to 2024, due to alleged privacy violations. Scroll down to read more! Also, please welcome Rhett Intriago, who has been helping out with this newsletter for a while, but is now co-authoring it. Rhett is super smart about all things security, so I'm thrilled to be working together! I hope you had an excellent holiday season and happy New Year! | | | | Cullen Thomas,
Senior Instructor at iPhone Life | | | | | | | 🗒️✅ Your Security Checklist | | | | | 🏆🎖️ Test Your Security Skills | | | | What should you do in the following scenario? During a conversation, your friend mentions robot trash cans that take themselves to the curb. For weeks afterward, all your ads are for robot trash cans. How do you prevent this? - Disable Hey Siri
- Disable location tracking for third-party apps
- Use a VPN
Scroll to the bottom to see how you did! | | | Apple Settles $95 Million Siri Privacy Lawsuit | | | | The lawsuit alleges that Apple's Hey Siri feature activates without user intent, records conversations, and shares that data with advertisers. Apple denies this, pointing to layers of privacy engineering that prevent Siri's data from being linked to individual users. Apple users who owned Siri-enabled devices between Sept. 17, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2024 may be eligible to receive up to $20 per Siri-capable device, but the fact of a settlement does not imply culpability. The Bottom Line: Apple isn't selling Siri data to advertisers. According to Apple, "Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose." No security researchers have come forward to refute this claim by Apple, and the public details of the lawsuit do not refute it either. Generally, Apple's security and privacy practices are exceptional enough that, in the absence of tangible evidence of wrongdoing, we are inclined to believe they handle Siri data as carefully as they say. Get Better Deals Without Spam Did you know every time you enter your phone number on a form or website, you're at risk for getting it leaked? With so many places requiring phone numbers, it's no wonder the amount of spam calls and texts has skyrocketed. Surfshark Alternative Number provides you with a virtual number to mask your real number from unwanted eyes. Don't give your number to strangers; put your privacy first. Sign up for Surfshark today for just $3.49/month plus four months for free! | | | 🤨 This Should Be on Your Radar 📡 | | | | Apple Passwords App Now Works with Firefox The iCloud Passwords extension is now available for Firefox, allowing you to easily autofill your passwords and save new login info when using the browser. Head over to MacRumors for more information, or add the Firefox extension. What Are Your Rights When Police Ask for Your Phone? At present, police can force you to use Face ID or Touch ID, but not to enter your passcode. However, a man in Tampa, FL, was thrown in jail after he refused to turn over his cellphone passcode to the police, which advocates say is a violation of his 5th Amendment right to remain silent. ABC Action News has the full story as well as a good rundown on the current state of the law, and why it's still changing. Related: How to Temporarily Disable Face ID Pegasus Spyware Creator Found Liable for WhatsApp Hack NSO Group Technologies, creator of the Pegasus spyware, has been found liable for the 2019 hack of WhatsApp in which Pegasus was used to infect approximately 1,400 phones. You can find the full story at The Guardian. Meta Hopes to Fill Your Facebook Feed with Fake People Last week, the Financial Times reported that Meta has ambitions of introducing AI profiles on both Facebook and Instagram, an idea it tried out initially in 2023. Now Meta is taking the old profiles down in response to backlash. How Targeted Ads Reveal Your Secrets to Strangers The system that fills web pages with ads customized to you is creepier than you think. Here's how it works, from the Electronic Frontiers Foundation. Facebook Will Stop Fact Checking, Instead to Use Community Notes Similar to X Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement in a video, explaining that Meta's fact checkers made "too many mistakes." The update will affect Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Net Neutrality Struck Down in Court, Probably Dead A US Law ensuring the principle of Net Neutrality, which states that all internet traffic must be treated by service providers equally, regardless of its source, destination, or content, has been struck down in court. This allows service providers to privilege content at their discretion. Get 72% Off Our Favorite VPN When you're online, data is being sent back and forth between your device and internet servers around the country. A VPN service will encrypt your data and route it through a secure connection. Sign up for NordVPN today and get 72% off in this New Year's deal! | | | 🍎📱Security Updates from Apple 🍎 | | | | Everything you need to know about Apple's latest software updates. Introducing Apple Intelligence, Security Fixes, and Lots of Bug Stomping - The most recent iOS and iPadOS is 18.2.1
- The most recent macOS is 15.2
- The most recent tvOS is 18.2
- The most recent watchOS is 11.2
- The most recent visionOS is 2.2
iOS 18.2.1 was released on January 6, 2025, and focuses on bug fixes, with no published security or privacy content. | | There is far too much security and privacy news to cover it all. When building this newsletter, we look for scams, hacks, trouble, and news to illustrate the kinds of problems Apple enthusiasts may encounter in our private lives, and the self defense we can practice to keep our devices, accounts, and lives secure. Our commentary focuses on practical advice for everyday people. This newsletter was written by Cullen Thomas and Rhett Intriago and edited by Donna Schill. | | Answer B and C are both correct, using a VPN and disabling location tracking for third-party apps. Third-party apps on both your device and your friends are tracking your movements and location. When they notice you've been right next to someone for a while, they may serve you some ads based on that person's searches. Disabling location tracking for third-party apps solves this problem mostly, though advertisers may also get your location if you visit their website, and that can be solved with a VPN or a privacy-preserving web browser. Answer A, Disabling Hey Siri, won't do anything. Advertisers don't find out about your conversation with your friend through Siri. Siri doesn't record it, nor does Apple transmit any information to advertisers. | | If you enjoyed this newsletter, you'll love all the security content available on iPhone Life Insider! This premium subscription includes: - The complete iPhone Life Privacy & Security Course for Apple Enthusiasts and other free online courses taught by expert instructors
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Join the Insider community today and save 30 percent! | | Did we help with your security concerns? With your feedback, we can improve this security newsletter. Let us know how we did: | |
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