Privacy activist Max Schrems, in conjunction with a group of people, has filed a complaint with the German and Spanish authorities regarding an alleged follow-up campaign deployed by Apple, considering that the company violates data protection laws by allowing iPhone devices to store a large amount of information without user consent.
It is the first major action of its kind against the US company for non-compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Nyob, the Schrems-led data protection association, has taken important action against Facebook and its invasive user privacy practices.
Apple mentions that it is not in a position to make statements at this time. A few months ago Apple announced the implementation of greater privacy mechanisms, although these updates are likely to be released until 2021.
The organization mentions that Apple uses a tracking code that is automatically generated with the settings for each iPhone, known as Advertiser Identifier (IDFA). The code, stored on the device, allows Apple and third parties to track a user’s online behavior and consumer preferences, critical information so that advertisers can launch targeted advertising: “Apple places codes that are comparable to a cookie on their phones without the user’s consent. This is a clear violation of European Union privacy laws,” said Noyb’s lawyer, Stefano Rossetti; simply put, the plaintiffs consider that Apple is failing to comply with its own advertising, in which they claim that privacy is the fundamental element on every iPhone.
Specialists fear that apple’s new rules would not change this condition, as they would restrict third-party access, but not Apple’s. Apple sells one in four smartphones in Europe, so this practice has considerable ranges.
He is a cyber security and malware researcher. He studied Computer Science and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2006. He is actively working as an cyber security investigator. He also worked for different security companies. His everyday job includes researching about new cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in enterprise security implementation.