Every year, Apple introduces new features to help its users protect their privacy. For example, during WWDC 2020, the firm announced theTO, the feature in iOS that can prevent app developers from tracking you. And during its 2021 conference, the firm announced iCloud+.
iCloud+ is a new offering for iCloud paid storage customers that includes a range of privacy features. And among these features, there is Private Relay or private relay.
Currently in beta, Private Relay or private relay will be included in the iCloud + offer (accessible to users of Apple's paid storage). © iPhon.fr
This feature, which is still in beta, works more or lesslike a VPN(but is not one), since it will allow you to secure your connections and hide your IP address. For the moment, we do not know when this new feature will be available on iOS 15. But in the meantime, Apple is publishing a document which gives us some details on how Private Relay works.
In this document, the firm re-explains the usefulness of this protection.“Normally, when a user browses the web, basic information about their web traffic, such as their IP address and DNS records, can be viewed by network providers and the websites they visit”, lit.“This information can be used to determine the user’s identity and create a profile of their location and browsing history over time. A user may then be targeted with unwanted advertisements and marketing campaigns, or have their data combined with additional data and sold to other companies. »
And it is against this data collection that iCloud+ users will be protected.Private Relayencrypts connections that are not yet encrypted, and passes traffic through two relays. The goal is that no entity can combine data about the user when the user connects to the internet.
Protection, with some limits compared to VPNs
In its document, Apple also mentions the limitations of its private relay. The firm says the feature protects users' identities, while maintaining geolocation information precise enough to support personalized experiences on the web. And moreover, unlike some VPNs, this feature will not allow you to bypass geographic restrictions on certain services.
Another limitation: Private Relay protection does not apply to cellular services, multimedia messaging service (MMS), telephone services (XCAP), etc.
Additionally, Apple does not want to interfere with corporate networks.“Most managed network settings used by businesses take precedence over Private Relay. If a device has a VPN installed, whether for business or personal reasons, traffic that passes through the VPN will not use Private Relay. Likewise, a proxy configuration, such as a global proxy, will be used instead of Private Relay », indicates the Cupertino company.
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By : Keleops AG
