In This Story
Apple’s motto is privacy and security. The company is known for setting high standards for the tech industry at large, which has put it at odds in the past with other tech giants such as Meta. But lately it’s had to address software security problems across a range of its products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch. This week, the company admitted it’s fixing privacy issues on yet another product: AirPods.
Apple said Tuesday that it issued an update for several of its wireless headphones, including AirPods and Beats Fit Pro, because of a vulnerability that could have let hackers “spoof” earphone wearers’ “intended source device.” In other words, hackers could have tricked a pair of headphones into pairing with the wrong device, allowing them access to the earbuds.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a Quartz request for comment, but said in its release that “[f]or our customers’ protection, Apple doesn’t disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available.”
Other recent security issues in Apple devices meant, for example, that apps on prior iPhone and iPad operating systems — before iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 — may have been able to get sensitive information from users, and that hackers could’ve broken into consumers’ Apple Watches to collect private data. Apple hasn’t said whether any sensitive user data was compromised via these flaws.
Researchers have also said that Apple’s own apps gobble up data. It’s difficult to stop Apple devices from sharing iPhone users’ data with native Apple apps, and Siri automatically collects data from apps consumers use, Forbes reported.
But Apple is still putting privacy at the forefront of its branding. For example, Apple made it a top talking point in the debut of its AI initiative, Apple Intelligence.
“With Apple Intelligence, powerful intelligence goes hand in hand with powerful privacy,” said Apple software executive Craig Federighi during his keynote address at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple also reportedly turned down an AI deal with Meta over concerns that the company’s privacy policies aren’t stringent enough.