Apple revamps privacy policy concept, focuses more on transparency

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers his keynote address at the World Wide developers conference in San Francisco, California June 2, 2014. Reutes/Robert Galbraith

Apple, Inc. launched a new privacy policy website yesterday, which explains to customers how it uses their personal information. The tech company updated the site with information about the iOS 9 and the latest version of the OS X.

“We believe in telling you upfront exactly what’s going to happen to your personal information and asking for your permission before you share it with us,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

Cook said users have the choice to restrict Apple from using their personal information should they change their minds and opt out later on.

The reorganised site comprehensively shows how customer data is used by services like Apple Pay and iCloud storage. It further explains how the company works with the U.S. federal government when the latter seeks to obtain personal information about Apple users.

Specifically, the updated policy site tackles the huge concern about privacy in products and features. It discusses iOS 9’s new app, the native deep linking utility that enables iOS and developers to connect users with relevant feeds, specific information and Spotlight suggestions.

Apple encourages its customers to use the two-step verification process to ensure blanket protection for the Apple ID account information in their devices and in the iCloud. This measure adds a second layer of security to the user’s Apple ID by sending a verification code to another trusted device of the user. This way, third parties that fail to provide both the password and the verification code won’t be able to access the user's device.

Wired noted, however, that Apple’s release of a white paper that reveals all the details of the iOS 9 security measures might have made the tech company more vulnerable to hack attacks.