Articles we publish usually only mention “Apple” and “law enforcement” at the same time is when we’re reporting on Apple’s latest refusal to help police unlock a bad actor’s iPhone or how they simply will not provide backdoors in their devices and apps. However, this time around, we’re telling you about when Apple actually worked to improve its relationship with law enforcement.
As reported by Forbes, Apple in October 2023 held a “Global Police Summit” designed to help police agencies around the globe better use Apple products for their work. The conference, which was held just before International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, boasted around 50 attendees from police departments from seven countries.
Forbes obtained emails from he Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) that said police departments shared their “successes, innovations, and lessons learned.” Apple engineers demonstrated how Apple products and their features that could benefit law enforcement, including Crash Detection, CarPlay, Vision Pro, and Emergency SOS via Satellite.
Reaction from the law enforcement officials that attended was positive overall. LAPD chief information officer John McMahon told Forbes, “I’ve never been part of an engagement that was so collaborative,” he said.
Law enforcement officials also shared how they used Apple products. A New Zealand police department shared their department’s experience in creating an app to access police data from the National Intelligence Database.
While Apple may not work well with authorities when it comes to unlock bad guys’ devices, they are quite happy to sell their devices and products to police, hence the conference.
Apple doesn’t publicize conferences like “Global Police Summit,” as these types of meetings may look bad to users that are being lured to Apple device due to the Cupertino firm’s “Privacy” marketing.
Electronic Frontier Foundation analyst Matthew Guariglia told Forbes. “They want to get the reputation that they protect users’ data and they will do so at the expense of their relationship with law enforcement, and at the same time recognizing that creating tech for law enforcement is a multi-billion-dollar industry,” he said.
The conferences were held under the leadership of Apple’s head of worldwide strategy for public safety and emergency services, Gary Oldham, who left the company in August of this year. Oldham had worked with police agencies in California to “deepen Apple tech use.”
Oldham did not tell Forbes his reasons for leaving Apple in August. Apple has not yet held a Global Police Summit in 2024.