Apple and Google in Heated Battle over Privacy

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Apple and Google in Heated Battle over Privacy

Google’s Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) privacy issues have become a large distraction for the company. On Tuesday it was revealed that the big G was under legal obligation to pay a fine of $22.5 million for violating the privacy of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) users.

Apparently, users of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Safari browser were unexpectedly exposed to online tracking protocols after Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) bypassed users’ privacy settings.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is the body responsible for the levying of the fine, exclaimed that Google Inc tricked the Safari browser into assuming an advertising cookie file. The alleged cookie file has given Google an opportunity to maintain tabs on people’s online movements.

The FTC revealed in its claims that Google had violated a 20 year deal that had been inked last October. In October 2011, Google Inc and the FTC agreed to stop misrepresenting their privacy operations to final consumers. The FTC went on to reveal that the privacy misrepresentations targeted a help center page dated back to 2009. On the other hand, Google has divulged that it has changed the page and taken reasonable steps to stamp out the ad cookies.

This fine is the greatest in FTC history and marks the onset of a new chapter in the ongoing battle against ‘privacy intruders’

Skeletons in the closet

In light of privacy intruders, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s current inclination raises a lot of questions about its sincere agendas. Isn’t it ironic that Apple has set up a strong fight against Google if some time ago it was making the news about privacy issues by itself?

The good thing about media is that we never hesitate to pull out a few skeletons from the closet.

In June, we reported that Apple’s and Google’s mapping services were in question by a U.S senator, calling them ‘spy planes.’ Although Google was also implicated, Apple topped the headlines, since its mapping service supposedly incorporated technology from one military mapping company called C3 technologies. Senator Chuck Schumer deemed the mapping service as an intrusion to privacy, and, states that the system gives terrorists information on potential targets.

Apple’s policy on privacy is therefore not all that straight. It also has a few skeletons in the closet. There is a probability that Apple’s aggressive fight against Google is driven by its desire to shroud its past.

Nowadays the Internet community is developing rapidly. That is why privacy issues have become urgent,  and hopefully stories like these shouldn’t appear in future.

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