Apple’s doubling down on proselytizing the importance of guarding people’s privacy.
Just one day after CEO Tim Cook had some harsh words about how Facebook handled user data (noting that Apple is “not going to traffic in your personal life”), the company has released iOS 11.3, which unveils new privacy controls.
A new icon will appear when an Apple feature asks to use your personal information —and in the description page, the company notes “Apple believes privacy is a fundamental human right, so every Apple product is designed to minimize the collection and use of your data…and provide transparency and control over your information.”
Apple & @tim_cook throwing shade at Facebook 🤣 #privacy#iOS 11.3 pic.twitter.com/J043VDnc40
— Andy Hoskins (@AndyHoskins87) March 29, 2018
The update, of course, was in the works long before Facebook ran afoul of privacy with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. But it couldn’t be better timed from a PR perspective. (And Apple has long been an advocate of strict privacy guidelines, with Steve Jobs even talking about it in front of Mark Zuckerberg.)
The new iOS update also lets users turn off processor throttling for iPhones with aging batteries, which will prevent some unexpected shutdowns—and a new battery health screen that will recommend if a battery needs to be serviced.