Apple takes legal action in UK data privacy row

 Apple is taking legal action to try to overturn a demand made by the UK government to view its customers’ private data if required.

The BBC understands that the US technology giant has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court with the power to investigate claims against the Security Service.

It is the latest development in an unprecedented row between one of the world’s biggest tech firms and the UK government over data privacy.

In January, Apple was issued with a secret order by the Home Office to share encrypted data belonging to Apple users around the world with UK law enforcement in the event of a potential national security threat.

Data protected by Apple’s standard level of encryption is still accessible by the company if a warrant is issued, but the firm cannot view or share data encrypted using its toughest privacy tool, Advanced Data Protection (ADP).

ADP is an opt-in feature and it is not known how many people use it.

Last week, Apple chose to remove ADP from the UK market rather than comply with the notice, which would involve creating a “backdoor” in the tool to create access.

Apple said at the time that it would never compromise its security features and it was disappointed at having to take the action in the UK.

The UK’s order also angered the US administration with President Donald Trump describing it to The Spectator as “something that you hear about with China”.

Tulsi Gabbard, US head of intelligence, said she had not been informed in advance about the UK’s demand.

She wrote in a letter that it was an “egregious violation” of US citizens’ rights to privacy and added that she intended to find out whether it breached the terms of a legal data agreement between the US and the UK.

The FT, which first revealed Apple’s legal action, reports that the tribunal case could be heard in the next few weeks, but may not be made public.

The Home Office refused to confirm or deny that the notice issued in January exists. Legally, this order cannot be made public.

But a spokesperson said: “More broadly, the UK has a longstanding position of protecting our citizens from the very worst crimes, such as child sex abuse and terrorism, at the same time as protecting people’s privacy....<<<Read More>>>...

Apple’s Vision Pro goggles rewire the brain, researchers warn

 Apple’s recently released Vision Pro goggles may seem like a fun new piece of tech, but researchers are warning that they could rewire the human brain in some very unexpected ways.

The Vision Pro uses 12 cameras within its glass fascia that serve as a lens, while its LiDAR scanner uses a laser to measure the distances to various objects. It uses passthrough video, which involves cameras and sensors capturing images from the world around you and reproducing them inside the device in a synthetic environment that can be overlaid with other elements.

However, researchers have found that using the $3,500 devices, especially in the long term, can cause a lot of problems for our brains and our perception of the world around us.

We already know how virtual reality can affect us in the short term. For example, individuals who are in synthetic environments have a tendency to judge distances poorly from close up as well as at a distance. This means that those who are trying to post videos of themselves doing activities like driving or skating with these headsets on are going to end up in real trouble, potentially harming themselves and others. It can also cause object distortion, changing the sizes and shapes of objects, particularly when one moves their head...<<<Read More>>>....

Apple starts to embrace artificial intelligence, installs AI-powered features in iPhones

 Apple is now transforming into an artificial intelligence (AI) company.

For many years, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant has been quiet about AI. In fact, InfoWorld reported that during the Worldwide Developers Conference 2023, Apple CEO Tim Cook managed to talk for over two hours in a global keynote without mentioning AI.

But that is starting to change with AI-powered features and other updates being installed in iPhones. According to an article published in the Atlantic, the AI updates are to be rolled out using an incremental approach.

Apple's much-maligned autocorrect feature is getting upgraded by AI using sophisticated language models. According to reports, this update won't just check against a dictionary but will also be able to consider the context of the word in a sentence. For example, it won't suggest "consolation" when you mean "consolidation," because the technology would know that the words don't mean the same thing.

Another small tweak that would be rolled out will be on the Photos app as announced earlier in June. For example, it will be able to automatically recognize the phone owner's dog the same way it recognizes people who frequently appear in the pictures.

Also, AirPods will be able to adjust to background noise based on the users' listening via "Adaptive Audio." For example, the Apple earpods might automatically lower the volume of your music when you start talking to the barista at a coffee shop and then raise it when you stop. Apple said it will use machine learning to understand your volume preferences in general and optimize your listening experience...<<<Read More>>>...

Apple wants to delete Telegram app from people’s iPhones – here’s how to stop it

[Natural News]: Word is circulating that Apple is planning to remotely axe the Telegram app from users’ iPhones now that President Donald Trump and millions of free speech advocates have migrated there.

The social media platform notified its users on Tuesday that the app surpassed 500 million monthly active users during the first week of January, with 25 million new users joining just in the previous 72 hours alone.

Founder Pavel Durov said there was a massive increase in new users compared to the same time last year when roughly 1.5 million new users were signing up daily.

“We’ve had surges of downloads before, throughout our seven-year history of protecting user privacy but this time it is different,” Durov is quoted as saying on his official “Durov’s channel.”

Most of the platform’s new users appear to be out of Asia at 38 percent, along with 27 percent from Europe and 21 percent from Latin America. Eight percent come from the Middle East and North Africa.

“[People] no longer want to be held hostage by tech monopolies that seem to think they can get away with anything as long as their apps have a critical mass of users,” Durov added. “We take this responsibility very seriously, and our users have been and will always be our only priority.”

Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Telegram does not have shareholders or advertisers to report to. It also does not mine data for marketers or deal with government agencies.

“Since the day we launched in August 2013, we haven’t disclosed a single byte of our users’ private data to third parties,” Durov reassured.

If you use an Apple device, the following instructions will ensure that Apple does not remove Telegram or any other app from your smartphone without your expressed permission:

• Go to “Settings”
• Press “Screen Time”
• Select “Content & Privacy Restrictions”
• Activate the button at the top right corner
• Select “iTunes & App Store Purchases”
• Make sure the “Deleting Apps” option is set to “Don’t Allow”....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...

Apple is pushing nationwide 5G rollout so that customers will have to upgrade and buy new iPhones… as usual, it’s all about the money

[Natural News]: Tech giant Apple recently held another one of its product and service launch events where it was announced that new iPhones with supposed 5G capabilities are soon on the way.

Even though they look almost exactly like the old iPhones, the new iPhone lineup will allegedly be able to connect to at least some of the 5G antenna towers that are popping up all over the place, including those being placed next to elementary schools and in residential neighborhoods.

Ever since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple has turned into a lackluster-at-best copycat company that never really releases anything truly new. Instead, the Silicon Valley giant seems to just churn out the exact same recycled tech every year with a few small modifications, all while calling it new and charging an obscene price for it....read more>>>...

Apple’s new iPhones to come with built-in 5G transmitters… AVOID all Apple products or be irradiated

[Natural News]: Will Apple slow down LTE networks on purpose to influence their customers to switch to 5G-compatible phones in 2020?

With over a million 5G cell towers getting installed as you read this, at least three of Apple’s iPhones coming out in 2020 will support 5G.

Will any American have the choice NOT to be radiated to death slowly by the Apple iPhone cell mutation complex? While Bill Gates pushes for more population control across planet Earth, from vaccines in Africa to 5G cell towers just a stone’s throw from kids playing in their own yards, America is quickly becoming the sickest industrialized nation from the ultra-high frequency and intensity of their smart phones.

Even if the price of Android 5G phones drops, most people’s medical bills will skyrocket, and no medical doctor in the U.S.A. will dare blame the vaccines or the 5G network.

Heck, if you post anything on social media now that bad-mouths the 5G platform you get banned, blocked and blacklisted. Don’t you know Mark Zuckerberg is sitting right next to Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos at the round table discussion about you.

Yes, we’re talking about you. You, the dumbed-down customer who must have a faster phone – the one you keep next to your head, in your pocket or pocket book, on your hip, or the one two inches from your kid’s faces while they play games relentlessly...read more>>>...