Apple’s new privacy feature designed to obscure a user’s web browsing from internet service providers and advertisers will not be available in Chi

Apple’s new ‘private relay’ feature to be withheld in China

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2021-06-08 16:30:03

Apple’s new privacy feature designed to obscure a user’s web browsing from internet service providers and advertisers will not be available in China, Saudi Arabia or Belarus, the company has said.

It was one of a number of privacy protections Apple announced at its annual software developer conference on Monday, the latest in a years-long effort by the company to cut down on the tracking of its users by advertisers and other third parties.

Apple said it also will not offer “private relay” in Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the Philippines.

Its decision to withhold the feature in China is the latest in a string of compromises the company has made on privacy in a country that accounts for nearly 15% of its revenue.

In 2018, Apple moved the digital keys used to lock Chinese users’ iCloud data, allowing authorities to work through domestic courts to gain access to the information.