Apple now lets you download every bit of data it ever collected from you
Apple has launched a new Data and Privacy page on its website, allowing users to check and download all the data the company has collected from you.
The page, available at privacy.apple.com, requires you to login with your Apple ID and password. From there, you'll be able to get a copy of your data, correct any information that you think is wrong, deactivate your Apple ID account, or permanently delete it.
The amount of data Apple has on you is likely quite extensive, as it includes App Store, Apple Music, Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Store and Game Center activity, Apple ID account info, AppleCare support history and repair requests, iCloud Bookmarks, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Marketing subscriptions et cetera.
If you want to download all that (or a portion of it), you can, but note that preparing the data for downloading might take a while, and the resulting bundle of files might be many gigabytes in size. Also, if you cannot find the data you're looking for, Apple has a detailed FAQ explaining where it might be.
Deactivating your data will make it temporarily unavailable to you or anyone else, including Apple. Stuff like iMessage, iTunes and iCloud won't work. However, this measure is temporary and does not delete your data; you can reactivate your account at any time and get back to normal. Note that account deactivation requests must be verified and that may take up to seven days.
Finally, if you've really had enough of being in Apple's walled garden, you can use this page to permanently delete your account. Deletion requests will also be verified, which can also take up to seven days. However, once you delete your data, it is gone forever, and no one, including Apple, will be able to retrieve it for you. Double-checking whether this is really what you want, as well as downloading a copy of your data, would be prudent before you take this step.
Topics Apple Cybersecurity Privacy
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
