Apple launched a new feature Wednesday that will allow U.S. users to download all data held on them by the tech company.
The new feature comes as tech companies are under fire for their handling of customer data. In just one example, Facebook revealed late last month that a security breach allowed attackers to obtain data on more than 30 million users.
The iPhone maker says the new privacy portal, available on the company’s “Data and Privacy” webpage, is part of an effort to put customers “in control” of their information.
European users were first granted the option to download their data five months ago in compliance with new data protection rules outlined in the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Downloadable data may include information stored on the iCloud—such as bookmarks, contacts, calendars, and photos—as well as data on purchases from the App Store and iTunes.
Any data not featured, Apple says, is either end-to-end encrypted, stored “in a form that is not personally identifiable” or no longer held on company servers.
“Apple strives to collect and store the minimum amount of data required to provide the services you use,” the company said in an announcement.
Customers in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland can also access their Apple data.
To download a copy of your data, sign in to your Apple ID account, scroll down to “Data and Privacy,” select “Manage your Data and Privacy” and then “Get Started” to find the “Get a copy of your data” option.
