"Capture Data" - What personal details are sent to Apple

inknpaper wrote:

Does anyone know if Apple's Capture Data app records any personal details?

Technically it does, but it isn't anything to worry about.

Their "agreement" text before selecting "Start" says it captures Mail account settings and also uses "etc."

I'm sure this is the same information as the older "sysdiagnose". If you want, you can generate your own sysdiagnose data and review the information. Here are instructions from Apple to generate a sysdiagnose: https://download.developer.apple.com/OS_X/OS_X_Logs/sysdiagnose_Logging_Instructions.pdf

I'm pretty sure that the "Data Capture" is just an easier-to-use version of sysdiagnose. Perhaps you'll appreciate Data Capture after running sysdiagnose. 😄 It generates a big archive file. You will have to extract all those files and review them. Give yourself a couple of weeks for that.

I don't want Apple to have my passwords or access to anything like that. So, does anyone know whether the "etc" covers Mail passwords or anything related to KeyChain Access? Safari? WhatsApp access?

Your keychains and passwords are not included in this information. Even if they were included, they are encrypted so Apple wouldn't be able to read them anyway. I can't make similar guarantees for any 3rd party data. However, I can assure you that Apple doesn't collect data files like this. Apple only wants its own log files and its own configuration files. Apple ignores 3rd party apps.

It's very off-putting when all I am trying to do is get my laptop fixed, but I obviously have reservations, especially when they say "etc" and "Some of the data collected may contain personal information".

To me, "Some" is already too much.

This is unavoidable. I have my own app that does similar things. In most case, there is no personal information anywhere. However, there are always cases where 3rd party apps (or even Apple years ago) used an e-mail address for a file name. Or maybe when someone creates their account they use their own name. Great - now that's personal information too. Then some low-level tool tries to log a system failure and the log message incudes a file path and that file path has that user name in it. That's the "etc" that Apple is talking about.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. You're mostly sending logs and diagnostic details. There is always a possibility that some of the info passed along would have some details about you, sites you visit, programs installed, configuration details, etc.

Check out: Legal - Apple Privacy Policy - Apple