Apple is bringing new privacy features to its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 13. During the company's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Apple's SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi said Apple's new privacy protections aim to limit location tracking on apps and crack down on data sharing during app logins.
Most notable among the privacy updates is a new Sign in with Apple button, a single-sign on function that lets users authenticate their identity using their Apple ID rather than their social or personal account logins for Facebook, Twitter or Google. Federighi said Facebook and Google logins can be used for tracking purposes, but with the new Apple login, users can log in with a new account without revealing personal or location data.
Must read
For apps that ask for a user's email, the Apple login feature gives users the option to create a random email address that forwards to their real email, as well as an option to disable such emails. The feature also uses two-factor authentication for an additional security layer, and Apple notes that it does not use Sign In with Apple to profile users or their app activity.
"We believe privacy is a fundamental human right, and we engineer it into everything we do," Federighi said during the keynote. "This experience is meant to let you have control over your data."
Must read
In addition to the login feature, Apple also changed the way apps access location data. With iOS 13, users can give an app permission to use their location data only once, and Apple will also tell users how often an app is monitoring their location. Apple also blocked apps from scanning WiFi and Bluetooth to infer a person's location.