Apple has changed its policies to require the government acquire a court order before it will release data regarding the push notifications of users, making it harder for authorities to spy on the users of its iPhone products.
The change in policy will bring Apple’s policies into line with those already being implemented by Google. Although the company did not formally announce the policy change., it was found on a list of updated law enforcement guidelines published online recently.
The new policy comes after the revelation by Senator Ron Wyden that certain governments had tracked smartphone users by looking at push notifications, a message sent to a user which notifies them of receiving a message or an update of an app.
Push notification data allows a government to link anonymous users of messaging applications to a specific Google or Apple account. Last week, Reuters reported that according to an anonymous source with knowledge of the practice, foreign and US government agencies had been making requests of Apple for push notification data.
Apple’s new policy is to only make such data available to authorities, “with a subpoena or greater legal process.”
According to reports, Google had already had such a requirement in place.
In a statement, Wyden has noted that both companies were, “in a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps.” He also called on the Justice Department to “repeal or modify any policies” which would reduce debate among the public over the use of push notification data.
In a response to Wyden’s comments, Apple noted the government had prohibited it from discussing the requests from government agencies, but that his pubic comments now allowed it to engage in debate over the practice.
It said, “In this case, the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information. Now that this method has become public we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.”
Google, in a statement said it agreed with Wyden’s, “commitment to keeping users informed about these requests.”
When asked by Reuters if it had prevented Google or Apple from publicly disclosing its requests for push notification data, the Department of Justice refused to comment.
