Non personal information - what does it mean?

Whenever we come across joining a social networking site, or become a member of any company’s official website, the last thing they ask us to do while filling in the registration form is to read the ‘privacy policy’. Now a days, such privacy policies include terms like ‘non personal information’ and they claim that they would only use the non personal information for their use. But what is non personal information?


In Apple’s privacy policy, it is clearly stated that only the non personal information of the members will be used, shared and looked upon. click here for the policy. They classify location, language, area code, unique device identifier and time zone as non personal information. However, I fail to understand how is ‘location’ not a part of personal information. Personal information is basically whatever gives information about you which includes details like location and occupation. Apple itself defines personal information as ‘Personal information is data that can be used to uniquely identify or contact a single person.’. (apple’s privacy policy).

Location can be precisely used by the companies to track your area and your occupation can easily give them an idea of where exactly could you be working and for whom. A unique device identifier is any device with which you connect to Apple’s network. It can be your computer or even your mobile phone. With the use of GPS, they can track the location of the computers and mobile phones. They can also access information in your mobile phones from contacts, to messages to even personal photographs. Isn’t that invading our privacy? How can such an agreement then be called a privacy policy?


Later on in the agreement, it explicitly states that they can use your ‘precise location’ for security issues and issues concerning ‘other public interests’. ‘Other public interests’ is a very vague term and can include absolutely anything. Are our phone numbers and other information we present to such companies really secure with them.

I would suggest everyone to read the privacy policies of every company before presenting to them your personal information which may harm your security and privacy. It is better to be safe than Sorry!