Apple denies it shares Safari data with Tencent or Google

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IANS | 15 Oct, 2019
After media reports surfaced that Apple is sending iOS users' data via its Safari browser to Google and the Chinese tech company Tencent, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker refuted such reports, saying it safeguards people's information in its own systems and never shares it with third-party players.

A report in reclaimthenet.org stated that "Apple, which often positions itself as a champion of privacy and human rights, may be sending some IP addresses from users of its Safari browser on iOS to Chinese conglomerate Tencent -- a company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party".

The report focused on Apple's "fraudulent website warning" system which is built into Apple's Safari web browser to warn people when they visit sites that are harmful and can trick users into sharing login passwords for banks, email and social media.

"Before visiting a website, Safari may send information calculated from the website address to Google Safe Browsing and Tencent Safe Browsing to check if the website is fraudulent. These browsing providers may also log your IP address,' read the information on Apple's "Safari & Privacy" section.

It's unclear when Apple started allowing Tencent and Google to log some user IP addresses, but one Twitter user reported the change in Safari happened as early as the iOS 12.2 beta in February 2019, said the report.

In a statement, the company said it actually doesn't send information to Google or Tencent.

"Instead, it receives a list of bad websites from both companies and then uses it to protect people as they surf the web. Apple sometimes obscures the information about the website people visit if it requests more information to check if a questionable website is malicious," CNET reported on Monday, citing Apple's statement.

For people concerned about their privacy, the service can be turned off in Safari preferences on the iPhone or Mac.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he believes privacy is "ingrained in the Constitution," but that he's worried about how third-party companies have worked to collect information on us.