Don’t you miss the days when the internet felt more private and intimate? Remember when you could browse freely, without some faceless Mega Corp tracking your every move and monetizing your data for ads? Well, those days are long gone—and it’s only getting worse. And in case you had any doubts, a new Proton study confirms it. Big tech giants like Apple, Meta, and Google are turning over more of your data to authorities every year.
Meta, Google, and Apple are handing over your data
Back in 2014, Meta, Google, and Apple shared fewer than 50,000 user accounts with U.S. authorities. That number has skyrocketed over the years, with more than 300,000 accounts handed over in 2022 alone.
Between 2014 and 2024, data-sharing requests surged—Meta saw a staggering 675% increase, Apple followed with 621%, and surprisingly, Google had the lowest jump at 530%. Make no mistake—that’s still a massive jump, just not as extreme as Meta’s.
Looking back, we were all too eager to hand Facebook every detail of our lives. We checked in everywhere we went, we uploaded photos willy-nilly, and we were trigger-happy when it came to tagging our friends. In hindsight, that was a terrible idea. Even Apple, the self-proclaimed champion of user privacy, isn’t completely innocent in all this.
The study also reveals which countries request the most user data. The US leads by a wide margin, with Germany in second place—though its request numbers don’t even come close.
Protecting your privacy
Now that your data is out there, ripe for the picking by authorities, is there anything you can do about it? Unfortunately, the age of the internet means that once it’s out there, there’s really no going back. But this doesn’t mean you should continue handing over your data. There are some ways to protect yourself in the future.
One of those methods involves using a VPN. VPNs can help protect you by anonymizing your location and masking your IP address. This, at the very least, stops websites from gathering too much information about you, your location, and your browsing habits. You can also use privacy-focused browsers, which block ads and trackers on websites.
Also, if you’re an iOS user, it might be a good idea to turn on iCloud Private Relay. This hides your IP address and location. Apple also has a Hide My Email feature for iCloud+ subscribers that hides their email when they sign up for online services.
