Creepy Apple Calendar knows I'm flying. How?

Question

Creepy Apple Calendar knows I'm flying. How?

I just opened my Apple Calendar app, and it knows the dates the departure and return date of my upcoming flight. I did not create this event in my Apple Calendar -- or any calendar -- nor do I even KEEP a digital calendar. The only place this information is currently located is in my gmail (airline receipt) and junk hotmail account (same airline receipt). I do not have this information stored elsewhere, to my knowledge. ...I am very guarded with personal information, and did not authorize any data-sharing, or otherwise. How does Apple Calendar know, what data is being shared (and with whom), and how do I disable?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3), Calendar and Privacy

Posted on May 31, 2018 8:18 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,198 points

Jun 1, 2018 4:45 AM in response to NoUsernameUgh

Nor do I like that Apple can access personal information in emails.

While this appears to be a Gmail issue, macOS has similar features. However, one program on your Mac finding appropriate information in another source and displaying it doesn't mean that Apple personnel (or even Google in this case) is accessing your personal information. No person has to "access" your personal information to find event dates in an email and put it on a calendar, nor does that information ever have to leave your computer.

Calendar will gather things Siri finds in Mail. You can disable it in the preferences.

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Answer 2

May 31, 2018 10:35 PM in response to NoUsernameUgh

Check your Mail>Preferences>General

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Answer 3

JTFCD

Level 1

136 points

Jun 1, 2018 12:51 PM in response to NoUsernameUgh

Apple doesn't know this, Google does, because you use Gmail.

Privacy settings for Google are here:

Manage your Google Settings - Google Account Help

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Answer 4

May 31, 2018 10:41 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thank you for this information, and for your quick response!! I ticked those boxes, and the arrival flight disappeared, but the departure flight is still there. : /

I'm curious -- how does Apple, thus, get this info, and what are they doing with it? Am I being data-mined? I was using Chrome, Gmail, and Hotmail. Not Safari or the Apple Mail software. And even if I was, I did not authorize cross-platform data transfer. Nor do I like that Apple can access personal information in emails.

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Answer 5

Jun 1, 2018 1:02 PM in response to JTFCD

Yes, thanks for mentioning that. Makes sense. Google does aspire to be omnipresent, and I know that by using gmail, I've already sold them my soul. ...Most of my privacy-related Google toggles are set to off, tho. I'm not sure which setting is feeding info to other apps. I don't use Siri or Apple's mail on any of my devices. Any clue?

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Answer 6

Jun 1, 2018 2:13 PM in response to Barney-15E

Hey, I appreciate your response. Apparently, Siri is automatically enabled, and I have to manually turn it off in System Prefs. Must've reset in my last OS update. ...It still baffles me that my personal mail and Apple apps are somehow talking to one another. Not sure which is talking to which. I wish permissions were asked, before private info in emails were scoured. ...Do know any other prefs / toggles I should check?

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