While it’s possible to have an account on your Mac without an Apple ID that links it back to Apple, it significantly diminishes the experience and prevents you from getting automatic software updates, which is a serious security risk. As discussed in prior posts, protect your account with a strong password or passphrase, use two-factor authentication to access your account in the cloud, and enable automatic updates for macOS and applications you purchased from the App Store. You’re sharing data with Apple, but there’s little that can practically be done to prevent it.
One other bit of computer hygiene before we address privacy permissions. Macs may come with applications you never plan to use. People refer to these unasked for applications as “bloatware.” And over time, you may accumulate applications you installed to try out and then stopped using. I recommend you uninstall these applications. They’re clogging up your system and may pose a security risk.
This link provides instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610
To tighten up your privacy permissions, go to “System Settings > Privacy and Security.” Review the options there. I recommend special attention to:
- Reviewing which apps use “Location Services,” and disabling access to the service if you don’t believe they require it.
- Reviewing which apps use your “Contacts,” “Photos,” “Microphone,” “Camera,” and “Screen & System Audio Recording.” Apps that use these services for surveillance can be particularly invasive.
- Turning off all options under “Analytics & Improvements,” and “Apple Advertising.”
For more information, see: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-privacy-security-settings-on-mac-mchl211c911f/mac
Next will discuss privacy permissions for iOS.
Information provided in this post is subject to the disclaimer in the first post of this series.