Hard to really know where Apple stands in comparison to the other tech giants. It feels like forever ago, but they all sang the same tune when Snowden leaked th

Hard to really know where Apple stands in comparison to the other tech giants. It feels like forever ago, but they all sang the same tune when Snowden leaked those documents a few years back. We first heard of the government’s “Prism” program when news organizations asked us about it on June 6. https://www.apple.com/apples-commitment-to-customer-privacy/ https://www.apple.com/apples-commitment-to-customer-privacy/ Compare this to: Microsoft: We provide customer data only when we receive a legally binding order or subpoena to do so, and never on a voluntary basis. In addition we only ever comply with orders for requests about specific accounts or identifiers. If the government has a broader voluntary national security program to gather customer data we don't participate in it. Facebook: We do not provide any government organization with direct access to Facebook servers. When Facebook is asked for data or information about specific individuals, we carefully scrutinize any such request for compliance with all applicable laws, and provide information only to the extent required by law. Google: Google cares deeply about the security of our users' data. We disclose user data to government in accordance with the law, and we review all such requests carefully. From time to time, people allege that we have created a government 'back door' into our systems, but Google does not have a backdoor for the government to access private user data. https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/06/google-facebook-apple-deny-participation-in-nsa-prism-program/ https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/06/google-facebook-apple-deny... I have long wanted to believe Apple is fighting for its customers' privacy, but this new phone-home telemetry "feature" really stacks undeniable doubt against the likelihood that Apple is in my corner. I am starting to think that all the back-and-forth with the Justice Department and Bill Barr (https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/bill-barr-wants-apple-break-their-encryption-even-if-it-ncna1117841 https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/bill-barr-wants-apple-...) was encryption theatre and the US government actually wants people to use Apple devices. Think about it...Apple is a US company with major access to China and other world markets, and it writes its own software. Seems like the ideal partner for a nosy surveillance agency. I just want a blazing fast aluminum laptop that doesn't betray me at every turn. I guess that's too much to ask these days.