It seems that Apple is not it is not the staunch defender of user privacy that it wants to be known. There is evidence that iPhones are sending call history to Apple without the knowledge of the users. If true, that could be a serious breach of privacy.
Apple the Defender of User Privacy
Apple has tried very hard to become known as a company that places great emphasis on privacy for their users and customers. They fought against government pressure after the San Bernardo case, where it refused to unlock an iPhone that might have helped investigators. That decision was hailed by those who value privacy in technology.
But it seems that Apple is not practicing what it preaches. According to reports, experts from Elcomsoft have found out that Apple devices are automatically sending information, particularly call history, to servers when iCloud has been enabled. The information is being uploaded without any kind of permission from the user. There are no notifications being sent out that such an action is being taken. Elcomsoft is a digital forensics firm from Russia.
According to the report, the information includes the calls made and received when using an iOS device. That means important details like phones numbers, call duration, and dates are being stored without the knowledge of the people making those calls.
The data stored in iCloud is retained up to four months. That means other people and even the government can gain access to those data even if the device used for making the calls remain encrypted. That also means that law enforcement agencies can get court orders that would unlock the accounts since the keys to unlocking the data are owned by Apple. It seems that activities for third party apps like Viber, Skype, and WhatsApp are also being logged for those who use iOS 10.
Some iPhone users have already figured out that there is actually a problem with iPhone saving history on the iCloud. Users who have family members using Apple devices have complained of call history appearing on multiple devices which compromises their privacy. Elcomsoft's findings have just confirmed their fears.
Those who have who have figured out that there call logs are being stored say there is no way to turn it off or to stop it from happening. If true, then this could be a serious blow to Apple's credibility. It also means that the privacy of millions of their loyal customers are compromised.
