Apple's recent announcement regarding its "Look Around" feature in Apple Maps has sparked privacy concerns. The company plans to use imagery collected during Look Around surveys to train artificial intelligence models. While Apple asserts that it will blur faces and license plates in these images, questions arise about the adequacy of this measure in protecting user privacy.
The images are gathered through vehicles equipped with sophisticated cameras and sensors designed to capture detailed street-level views. In addition, Apple uses portable backpacks fitted with cameras to collect imagery in pedestrian-only areas. However, the policy allows residential homes to remain visible unless users explicitly request that their properties be blurred. This default setting places the responsibility on individuals to protect their privacy rather than ensuring it by default.
Apple's information page details when and where image collection will take place, providing some transparency. Yet, the continued use of blurred imagery for AI training could still pose risks of identifiable patterns or features that might compromise individual privacy.
In a related privacy issue, Apple recently announced the discontinuation of its end-to-end encrypted iCloud feature in the UK. This feature had allowed users to store their data with a high level of security, ensuring that even Apple could not access it. The decision to remove this encryption has raised concerns about the company's commitment to safeguarding user data.