What is iCloud Private Relay?

Apple’s well-intentioned privacy efforts fall short of privacy-focused dVPNs

7 mins Read
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In 2021, Apple released a premium iCloud feature for its Safari browser called “iCloud Private Relay.” But what is a “private relay” exactly? Is it a kind of Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Is it a proxy server? Or something else entirely?

Apple’s Private Relay does share some privacy-enhancing features and routing procedures with VPNs and proxies. Yet it is really neither. Ultimately, the question of how to categorize Apple’s Private Relay is less important than how it functions to ensure user privacy. So it is important to parse out how these different products on the market function as privacy protections.

While the iCloud Private Relay protects user privacy on Apple’s default Safari browser, it is structurally a less comprehensive privacy tool than most VPNs on the market. And when it comes to genuine privacy and guarding against metadata leakage, mass surveillance, and online tracking, it is miles apart from advanced decentralized VPNs (dVPNs).

If you’re concerned about your privacy online and have encountered this pay-to-play feature offered by Apple, here’s what you need to know about how it works and why it might not be worth your money compared to what a privacy-centered dVPN can provide.

What is a VPN?

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