Apple's Privacy Team Does Deep Dive Into iOS 18 Privacy Features

Apple's User Privacy Engineering Manager Katie Skinner and Privacy Product Marketing Lead Sandy Parakilas recently sat down with YouTuber Andru Edwards for a wide-ranging discussion on Apple's privacy policies.


Topics covered include Apple's approach to privacy, the ways Apple contends with privacy laws in different countries, and how Apple deals with government requests, plus there's a good deal of information on the new features in iOS 18.

Some of what's discussed covers privacy information that Apple has reiterated over and over again, but there are some interesting tidbits on Apple's adoption of ChatGPT, Maps privacy, the Passwords app, and accessory pairing in iOS 18.

It's a long discussion at almost 45 minutes, but worth it for those who want a bit more insight into Apple's philosophy on privacy.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Foldable Thumb

First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed

Monday February 2, 2026 7:19 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker. The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone: The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...

Top Rated Comments

joeblough Avatar
20 months ago
i'll never understand this. installing almost any ad blocker will show you just how many known tracking servers your apps are contacting. maybe safari blocks them but let's face it, that's much less than half the battle now.

i mean heck, almost every app's "privacy label" shows that so much of your data is collected and linked to you. so how exactly is apple/iphone promoting your privacy?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
20 months ago
If you bother to watch the video, you will quickly see, that the Apple employees don’t actually answer a lot (if not most) of the questions asked.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
20 months ago

If you bother to watch the video, you will quickly see, that the Apple employees don’t actually answer a lot (if not most) of the questions asked.
Contrary to the title it's a shallow dip and not a deep dive.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
20 months ago

All PR spin to counter their move to use AI. Everybody knows Apple collects your data (and uses it for their own purposes) but they also allow apps to collect data. Of course Apple aren't the bad guys though because they allow you to "turn it off" through privacy settings. So wholesome. Thank you for protecting us, Tim!
So you haven’t watched it then?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
20 months ago

Bragging about privacy when putting chatgpt on your devices is a joke.
I guess if you actually looked at how it is being implemented, and watched the video, you would understand that every single time you use ChatGPT, you have to physically press the OK button to allow ChatGPT to steal, I mean harvest, I mean use your data. There are 4 points to privacy and security and knowing when and allowing data to be used is one of them. They have been 100% transparent. But saying or acknowledging that doesn’t suit the agenda of people who refuse to do the research.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
20 months ago

i mean heck, almost every app's "privacy label" shows that so much of your data is collected and linked to you. so how exactly is apple/iphone promoting your privacy?
The way I look at the Privacy Labels is at least you are being told, and on the rare occasion you find an app that doesn't collect info you can give that app a little extra weight in your decision.

Consumers in the EU will start to lose those with the advent of alt-stores. I am very sure Epic will not force devs to declare the data they hoover as I am sure Epic will be hoovering with the best of them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)