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by rjsteixeira 1992 days ago
Apple is cheating a bit here. Example: I can see my contacts location in iMessage if they are my family. I can also share my location with contacts. Maybe that data comes from FindMy, another app, but it is still processed by iMessage and it is a menu option within the app.
4 comments

There is a big difference between an App showing you some data, and that same app collecting it, sharing it, and linking it to your identity.

For example, Google maps could show you your location in a map, without collecting that data about you or linking it to your identity, e.g., by having the local app who knows your location ask the google maps server for maps including that location, but without ever sending the location, and with these servers never linking who requested the maps with which maps they requested.

If iMessage is end-to-end-encrypted, and you share your location with a contact, does it count as Apple "collecting" the information for the purposes of the privacy label if it is never stored in a readable way on their servers except to be transmitted and decrypted by the recipient?

I think your overall point still stands that Apple's collection within other services like iCloud can benefit iMessage functionality and may not be disclosed on the privacy label

While it may be end to end encryption I am under the impression that Apple has the keys so they could decrypt the messages if they wanted. I don't have an iPhone but I think when you get a new one your old messages are migrated over. Not sure if that is true but if it is that would almost certainly mean Apple has the ability to decrypt your messages themself.
If you use Messages with iCloud then I think you are correct. If you don't have iCloud enabled for Messages then only your device has access. I never enabled iCloud for Messages for this reason
But if anyone you're talking to has it enabled, your messages are still gonna be on Apple's servers, right?
Yes, good point
The list is things shared by default. You have to manually opt in to sharing your location, even if you're using Family Sharing.
Is that true?

You can avoid having to list things in the nutrition labels if it's opt-in?

That doesn't make sense then the other way. In WhatsApp you don't have to do any payments, so that information shouldn't be included there either.
But is it collected and linked to you via apples I message servers? That’s what the comparison is for, seems WhatsApp grabs all that, sends it to Facebook, and then links it to you