apple-id.md

Apple ID Privacy Policy

Last reviewed: 2016-12-18

tl;dr In order to offer user accounts, Apple:

• collects a significant amount of personal information
• collects technical information that can de-anonymize you
• may share information with too many third parties
• uses aggressive/pervasive tracking
• may keep your information even if you delete it or close your account
• may be working with data brokers

Information they collect

• Apple may collect your name, address, phone number, email addres, other contacts, and payment information
• some information is stored and processed even if you don't create an account, such as when you contact Apple regarding another topic
• if you enter an Apple contest, information you provide is stored
• Apple "may collect, use, transfer, and disclose non-personal information for any purpose"; they may collect things at will
• Apple may collect your occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device ID, referrer URL, location, and your time zone
• Apple may collect information as you use Apple products
• Apple may collect information about how you use their products and services
• Apple may collect "de-identified" search queries you perform using their products and services
• if you consent, Apple "may collect data about how you use your device and applications", including information that may help app developers improve their apps
• information automatically collected by server logs may be stored as well, including your IP, browser type, Internet service provider, "clickstream data", and other pieces of technical information
• if an email from Apple uses a "click-through URL", opening that URL will first land you on a server that collects further information
• the use of pixel tags means Apple knows when a customer has opened an email from them
• Apple "may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device". This information may be collected via GPS, Bluetooth, and/or IP address. Apple may also collect it using "crowd-sourced Wi-Fi", "cell tower locations", and "other technologies".
• Apple may collect the location data described above in a personally-identifiable manner, if you consent to it. If you don't, it's "collected anonymously".
• "Some location-based services ... require your personal information for the feature to work."

What they share and how

• information may be shared between Apple and its affiliates
• when you share content with "family and friends using Apple products", gift certificates, or invite others to Apple services, Apple may collect the information about these people
• in some occasions, Apple "may ask for a government issued ID"
• personal information can be used for internal purposes (e.g. auditing, analysis, and research)
• Apple may make personal information available to "strategic partners"
• when you activate an Apple device, Apple may exchange information with your carrier/provider
• Apple "shares personal information with companies who provide services such as information processing, extending credit, fulfilling customer orders, delivering products to you, managing and enhancing customer data, providing customer service, assessing your interest in our products and services, and conducting customer research or satisfaction surveys"
• Apple may share information with governmental authorities, in complicance with the law and legal processes; some of this sharing will be with institutions outside your country of residence
• Apple may share "information about you" if they consider it important for "national security, law enforcement, or other issues of public importance"
• Apple may share information about you if they consider it important to enforce their TCUs or protect themselves or other users
• Apple may transfer your information in case they buy or are bought
• "If you purchase a subscription in a third party app or within News", Apple will create a unique ID for that relationship. This ID is shared with the third party along with some information. The ID "will reset after 180 days if you do not resubscribe".

What you can do about these rules

• you can opt out of marketing communications
• you can't opt out of some communications, if Apple considers them important
• in some Apple devices, you can "Limit Ad Tracking", to opt out of targeted advertising (but not of non-targeted advertising)
• Apple may keep your information for an indefinite period of time, if required or permitted by law
• Apple may refuse to modify or delete your data, if they consider it impractical, and/or if it's not required by local law.
• You may request "access, correction, or deletion" of your information (but see the points above).
• When Apple changes "the policy in a material way, a notice will be posted on [their] website along with the updated Privacy Policy." It's not clear if the user is notified beforehand.

Pervasive tracking

• Apple uses tracking in "websites, online services, interactive applications, email messages and advertisements".
• Apple may use cookies and similar technologies, including pixel tags and web beacons.
• Pervasive tracking is used, among others, to understand user behavior and improve advertising.
• Information collected by these technologies is treated as "non-personal information", but may end up given some protection as "personal information".
• Apple devices use a unique "Advertising Identifier".
• In the name of a customized experience, Apple will keep some of your information in more persistent cookies.
• Apple stores information about your devices, including hardware identifiers and technical information.
• Apple may tracking the links you open in their emails. Their suggestion: "If you prefer not to be tracked in this way, you should not click text or graphic links in the email messages."
• Some or all of your information may be stored even after you delete your account.