No, Apple does not keep user profiles based on Internet searches.
Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, explained at WWDC 2016 that "All of this great work in iOS 10 would be meaningless to us if it came at the expense of your privacy." He went on to declare that Apple does not profile users based on web browsing.
Apple announced it would employ differential privacy with the release of iOS 10. Essentially, this technique improves the accuracy of queries from statistical databases while reducing the chances of identifying individual iPhone users.
Submitted by Jon Reed on
Facebook's regard for its users' privacy has once again come into question after a communications professor from the University of Southern Florida suggested that the media giant's mobile app could be using the iPhone's microphone to listen to conversations to glean information for advertising purposes. This would explain recent claims that ads pertaining to subjects that are spoken about while the app was open are showing up in people's feeds.
Submitted by Frank Macey on
Opera Software ASA, makers of the Opera web browser have released a completely free and unlimited iPhone VPN solution. Opera VPN makes it possible to change your virtual location, which can unblock content and prevent trackers from following your web browsing. Typically, using unlimited data over a VPN service requires a subscription cost. Opera VPN seeks to change this model.
Submitted by Frank Macey on
Convenience can be a good reason for a long search history. Instagram is no stranger to this concept, saving a list of recent searches on the iPhone for quick access. Saved information can include tags, Instagram users or any search term that's entered into the search field. While it may not often be necessary, it's good to know that the search history can easily be deleted.
