The way user data fits into Apple's business model (ie. to make the product better vs. generating ad revenue) is appealing, but unfortunately it's gotten to the point where pledges of privacy from US companies have a hollow ring to them. I expect a gradual migration away from US-based SaaS/PaaS and OS offerings to open source alternatives and self-hosted utility computing, particularly for business and government applications.
Exactly. Once trust is broken, it's hard to regain.
An entity changing behavior after being caught doesn't really inspire confidence in what it might do when it believes no one is watching.
Trust is a fragile thing. Hard to build, easy to destroy.
I don't necessarily blame these companies though. They are profit oriented and they almost certainly have to play by certain rules to grow to any size. But the surveillance crew certainly has certainly shot themselves (and us) in the foot to some degree. I just hope what they got out of it was worth it, but I'm doubtful. If they had just played a little more by the rules and vetted important matters rather than being lazy, their jobs (and everyone in the Western tech industry) might be a lot easier going forward.
Unfounded hubris and lack of foresight seem to be very common pitfalls for military, security and policing services. At least in the U.S. And probably everywhere throughout history.
