Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

What data Apple and Google collect on you

What data Apple and Google collect on you

Apple and Google both collect data about you – including some that you’re probably not aware of. Here’s what you need to know to get a handle on it.

Your iPhone and Android device are constantly collecting data about your activity. Some of it is obvious, such as your location data if you opt to use Google Maps or Apple Apps.

Some of it is unclear, such as the telemetry data – that often can’t be turned off – sent by iOS and Android.

So, though you can opt out of some things, it’s not always straightforward. And what is shared and how it is shared is not always obvious.


A study by Douglas J. Leith, School of Computer Science & Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, claims that "Google collects around 20 times more handset data than Apple."

When an iPhone and Google Pixel phone are idle, a Pixel sends about 1MB of data to Google every 12 hours versus the iPhone that sends 52KB to Apple, the study said.

"Both iOS and Google Android transmit telemetry, despite the user explicitly opting out of this," according to the study.

"The big question for me is what information is contained in the large volume of telemetry that Google collects," Leith told FOX Business in an email.

"That telemetry aside, based on my measurements Google and Apple collect much the same sorts of data. I found that surprising since I expected Apple would collect less data," Leith said.

FOX Business has reached out to Google and Apple about the study.

One of the most important lessons for users is to be on constant guard about how companies use your data.

Though Google is planning to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome and Apple introduced enhanced consent and transparency requirements on iOS, that’s not the whole story, Shane McNamee, chief privacy officer at computer security company Avast, told FOX Business.

"So, [while] it's good that the amount of excessive data sharing is being reined in, this is only part of the battle towards moving away from excessive data collection and problematic targeted advertising models," McNamee said.

How to control what data Apple and Google are collecting


The best way to get a handle on what Apple and Google are doing with your data is to dive into settings on your Google and Apple accounts and devices.

Once inside, it doesn’t take long to see what data is being collected and how to turn it off if that option is available.

Google:
Apple and Google both collect data about you – including some that you’re probably not aware of.


Go to your Google Account (https://myaccount.google.com/).

Click or tap on Privacy & Personalization (or Data & Privacy, depending on the device).

Then go to "Things you can create and do" and click on "Go to Google Dashboard."

The dashboard has a plethora of data, settings and help with your services.

You can also download a copy of your data there.

Another option is to go to Google Privacy Checkup. This shows key privacy settings that have been turned on. You have the option to turn them off.

Google provides this common example of enabling or disabling a data sharing feature in Google user settings:

"If you have enabled Location History and regularly frequent ski resorts, you might later see an ad for ski equipment when watching a video on YouTube. Google also uses Location History in an anonymized and aggregated manner, for users who have chosen to opt-in to it, to help advertisers measure how often an online ad campaign helps drive traffic to physical stores or properties. We do not share Location History or any other identifying information with advertisers."

Android phones such as the Google Pixel also allow the user to tweak settings under "Privacy." There you can opt out of services such as "Ads Personalization" and "Web and App Activity" and "Location History."

Apple:
Your iPhone and Android device are constantly collecting data about your activity.


Go to your Apple account (appleid.apple.com) and scroll to Data & Privacy. Then tap or click on Manage Your Data and Privacy.

There you will see options such as "Request a copy of your data" and "Correct your data."

But be warned. If you request a copy of your data, it will be a dense document and not easy to wade through.

One of the best ways to control what data Apple uses is to go into the "Privacy" setting on your iPhone or other Apple device.

There you can turn off "Location Services" and "Tracking" for apps.

Or, under "Settings," you can tap on the app directly and turn off tracking. For example, for the Safari browser you have the option to turn off tracking and to block cookies.

The guidelines spelled out above are just a start but steps that every consumer should take.

"Whilst it's true that Google is often portrayed as the boogeyman of data collection, and Apple as the privacy knight in shining armor, it's probably worth throwing a more critical eye over both of their data collection practices," Avast’s McNamee said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×