Apple shuts AI out: iOS apps just got more private
In a significant move aimed at enhancing user privacy, Apple has updated its iOS App Store guidelines to include specific requirements regarding the use of personal data in relation to third-party artificial intelligence (AI). This update mandates that app developers must clearly disclose how personal data will be shared with third parties, particularly with third-party AI systems, and crucially, they must obtain explicit permission from users before proceeding with such data sharing. This marks Apple’s first formal guidance on the integration of AI within its ecosystem, reflecting a growing concern over data privacy and the ethical implications of AI training practices. The updated guidelines, part of the broader App Review Guidelines document, emphasize that Apple will reject any apps that violate these principles, echoing a sentiment famously articulated by a U.S. Supreme Court Justice: “I’ll know it when I see it.”
This change comes at a time when the tech industry is grappling with the legal complexities surrounding the sourcing of data for AI training. Apple, under CEO Tim Cook, has been notably cautious about AI, often preferring to describe its technology in terms of “machine learning” rather than using the term “AI.” Despite this cautious approach, Apple has found itself embroiled in legal challenges, including recent lawsuits alleging that it improperly used copyrighted materials from “shadow libraries”—illegally shared content available online—for its AI training. These legal disputes highlight the contentious nature of AI data sourcing in Silicon Valley, as seen in the recent settlement involving AI company Anthropic, which paid $1.5 billion over similar issues.
By implementing these new guidelines, Apple is taking a proactive stance in addressing user concerns about data privacy and the potential misuse of personal information in AI development. This not only positions Apple as a defender of user rights but also sets a precedent for how other tech companies might approach AI data transparency in the future. As the legal landscape continues to evolve, Apple’s commitment to user privacy could serve as a competitive advantage, especially as consumers become increasingly aware of how their data is handled in the age of AI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyWxCYAv0s4
If you hate the idea of your information being used to train AI, you’re going to love the minor but vital tweak Apple just made to the iOS App Store.
“You must clearly disclose where personal data will be shared with third parties, including with third-party AI,” the company told app developers — adding that all apps must “obtain explicit permission before doing so.”
The updated language — Apple’s first guidance on third-party AI — is part of a document called
App Review Guidelines
. And lest the name fool you, the introduction makes clear that adhering to these guidelines is pretty much mandatory.
“We will reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line,” Apple tells developers later in the guidelines. “What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, ‘
I’ll know it when I see it
.’ And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.”
The update, which dropped last week, marks the first time that AI has even been mentioned in the guidelines. Apple under CEO Tim Cook has been
highly skeptical about AI
, slow to include AI features in Siri, and sometimes hesitant to even use the letters “AI”; Cook has preferred to use the similar term “machine learning” in past keynotes.
Sourcing data to train AI models has become one of the most legally contentious activities in Silicon Valley. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, filed a lawsuit in April against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
And even Apple, the AI laggard that is reportedly going to
use Google Gemini to power Siri soon
, isn’t immune.
Last month saw
two lawsuits alleging Apple has improperly used other people’s work
for its own AI training. In separate filings, two neuroscientists and two authors said Cook’s company had used data from “shadow libraries,” or pirated content available online.
While Apple’s response remains to be seen, the legal landscape doesn’t look all that promising for the company. AI giant
Anthropic settled a class-action lawsuit over shadow library usage in September for $1.5 billion
.
But at least Apple can now legitimately claim to be protecting its users from AI data-scraping within its apps.
