The data tracking issues Apple Inc. is facing seem to be growing bigger as iOS developers confirm that the company's device analytics are not anonymous after all.
According to Apple Insider, Apple can allegedly identify a user through the analytics data it collects via an identifier linked with the user's iCloud account.
Security Researchers Found That The DSID Helps Apple Analytics Identify Users
Apple's introduction of the App Tracking Transparency aims to assure users that their usage habits will remain anonymous, but that does not seem to be the truth.
On Monday, Mysk security researchers tweeted that the tech giant uses the Directory Services Identifier to let analytics identify users through iCloud accounts.
Benzinga writes that this means users' behavior while browsing on the app stores for apps are sent to Apple in detail, which they can use to link data to users.
The Twitter thread also said that analytics data is still sent to the company even if the device analytics in Settings is turned off, which shows no way for users to stop it.
Mysk's tweets also pointed out specific lines in the device analytic and privacy document, including one that argues that the company does not identify uses with the data it collects.
However, The Verge notes that the same document highlights that Apple admits to tracking users, and that the tech giant has a separate set of rules about how it tracks apps in the Store.
Despite this, it is important to know that Apple is still pretty much monitoring everything users do by collecting data for app recommendations and advertisements.
While the company has not yet given any comment about the matter yet, the company has previously and publicly said that it is not selling user data.
Apple also asserted that its ad platforms do not connect users or devices with third-party data collectors for targeted ads, and that they do not share users' data identification with anyone.
It is important to remember that while the company claims such, Apple is still capable of potentially using identifiable data for its own purposes.
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This Issue Worsens Apple's Recent Privacy Woes
The issue at hand is important since Apple has been under a lot of scrutiny regarding its privacy policies and practices, according to The Verge.
Benzinga writes that the company is still reeling from a lawsuit that alleged that the company tracks users' data even if the iPhone's analytics is disabled.
This was in connection to a previous case that also reports that the company harvests detailed users' information from Apple Music, Apple TV, and other apps sent from the App Store.
On November 12, an attempted class action lawsuit against the company was filed, and it claims that the tech giant violates users' right to privacy.
According to Apple Insider, this is due to the fact that Apple knows what users are looking for in the App Stores as noted by the same security researchers, Mysk.
However, at the time, the researchers could not examine and identify what data was collected from iOS devices with the use of encryption.
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