In a world where privacy is increasingly scrutinized, Apple has long championed its products as guardians of user data. From iPhones to iPads, the company has built a reputation as a stalwart for personal privacy. However, beneath this facade of consumer protection lies a less-publicized reality: Apple’s quiet but growing collaboration with law enforcement agencies worldwide.
In recent years, Apple has hosted exclusive, behind-the-scenes events designed specifically for law enforcement. The Global Police Summit, a series of private meetings held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, has been instrumental in this collaboration. Since 2019, police agencies from around the world have been invited to learn about how to use Apple’s products—like the iPhone, Vision Pro, and CarPlay—for surveillance and policing purposes. These summits have provided law enforcement officials with direct access to Apple’s engineers and product developers.
At the latest Global Police Summit in October 2023, officials from seven countries gathered to explore ways to leverage Apple’s ecosystem to enhance law enforcement capabilities. The summit, which remained largely under wraps, took place just before the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in San Diego. Attendees included representatives from police forces in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Despite its public stance on user privacy, Apple has significantly ramped up its collaboration with police agencies since 2015. That year, Apple famously refused to unlock the iPhone of a shooter involved in the San Bernardino terrorist attack, a move that seemingly positioned the company as an adversary of law enforcement. However, documents obtained by Forbes reveal that Apple’s interactions with police have evolved, culminating in the Global Police Summit and several other covert initiatives.
Through these summits and other meetings, Apple has provided law enforcement with tools and strategies for integrating its technology into surveillance operations. Agencies have been trained on how to use Apple products such as iPhones, Macs, and even its emerging Vision Pro technology to enhance their surveillance capabilities.
Apple has also remained discreet about its work with law enforcement, offering little to no public commentary on the matter. The company’s secrecy regarding these collaborations is no accident. By keeping its involvement out of the public eye, Apple can continue to market itself as a privacy-first brand, even as it assists police agencies in using its devices for surveillance.
Apple’s relationship with law enforcement has extended beyond the United States. One notable example comes from New Zealand, where police forces have developed iOS apps that utilize Apple’s ecosystem for real-time surveillance and data access. The OnDuty app, developed by New Zealand Police, allows officers to access the National Intelligence Database to search for information such as criminal histories, license plate numbers, and other key data. Other apps help provide situational awareness by displaying if persons of interest frequent a specific location or if a particular area has a history of criminal activity.
This close collaboration has had a significant impact on Apple’s market share in the public safety sector. Under the guidance of former police officer Gary Oldham, Apple’s public safety market share grew from 10% to over 70% in targeted global markets. In some countries, the company achieved a 100% market share in the public safety space, making it the dominant player in this niche market.
One of the more intriguing developments in Apple’s collaboration with law enforcement involves its Vision Pro technology. Designed initially for immersive virtual reality experiences, police agencies have begun exploring its use for surveillance purposes.
In Southern California, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) has been experimenting with Vision Pro to create a virtual command center. Dubbed the Real Time Operations Center, this digital hub allows law enforcement officials to manage surveillance data and respond to incidents using a single pair of Vision Pro goggles. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) has also embraced Vision Pro for its emergency operations.
Vision Pro’s appeal lies in its ability to replace traditional, bulky command centers with a lightweight, portable solution. Instead of relying on multiple monitors and physical equipment, officers can use Vision Pro’s virtual interface to view maps, track incidents, and monitor surveillance feeds, all within the immersive environment of the headset.
Another Apple product gaining traction in law enforcement is CarPlay. Typically used to connect iPhones to car dashboards for hands-free communication and entertainment, law enforcement agencies are now exploring ways to integrate CarPlay into their patrol vehicles. In Australia, police forces are using CarPlay to access police data through Siri voice commands, allowing for safer, hands-free interactions during routine stops and high-speed pursuits.
In the United States, departments such as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and OCSD are considering replacing the traditional in-car laptops with CarPlay systems. Not only does this eliminate the risk of injury caused by heavy metal laptops during traffic collisions, but it also streamlines access to critical information, making it easier for officers to communicate with dispatchers and update incidents in real-time.
Despite the success of the Global Police Summit, the future of Apple’s collaboration with law enforcement is uncertain. Budget constraints have already impacted the event, with the 2024 summit canceled due to a lack of funds. Apple has not indicated whether the summit will return, leaving police agencies disappointed.
Yet, even without the summit, law enforcement agencies remain eager to continue their work with Apple’s products. The integration of Apple’s ecosystem into policing—from iPhones to Vision Pro to CarPlay—has already revolutionized the way many police departments operate. As one police CIO quipped after learning of the summit’s cancellation, “I guess we will go to the Android event this year.”
Apple’s products, from iPhones to Vision Pro and CarPlay, are seamlessly integrated into law enforcement operations, offering advanced surveillance and data management tools.
As Apple continues to develop cutting-edge products, its influence on law enforcement agencies worldwide grows. From covert police summits to the deployment of Vision Pro in surveillance operations, Apple has positioned itself as a key player in modern policing. While the company maintains its public image as a defender of consumer privacy, its quiet collaboration with law enforcement tells a different story—one where the line between personal privacy and state surveillance continues to blur.
