Apple Collects the Least Amount of User Data Out of Major Tech Companies, Study Suggests

A new analysis has found that out of major tech giants, Apple collects the least amount of private user data from its users, with Google, Twitter, Amazon, and Facebook, collecting much more data from its users than the iPhone maker.

The study measured how many data points each company collects from its users. The study found that Google topped the list, collecting a total of 39 data points for each of its users. Twitter and Amazon follow by collecting 24 and 23 data points for each user, respectively.

Possibly surprising to some, Facebook, known to be in favor of user tracking, comes close to Apple by only collecting 14 data points for each user. Apple is at the bottom of the list and only collects 12 data points for each user, according to the study. Apple, unlike Google, relies much more heavily on on-device machine learning and algorithms to dictate personalization features, such as personalized music recommendations for Apple Music and curated photos in Photos.

While Apple collects the least amount of user data from its users, it’s making it harder for other companies, such as Google and Facebook, to collect data from ‌iPhone‌ users. In 2020, Apple launched App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a prompt that offers users the choice of whether they wish to be tracked across apps and websites owned by other companies. Facebook has vehemently spoken out against ATT, and details last year revealed the prompt change could have cost social media companies $10 billion in revenue for 2021.