Ente, an encrypted photo service, sent me an email this week with a line I can’t shake: “privacy is just a setting for them, and settings change.”
That’s a sales email, so I checked the two stories behind it. They’re real, and they’re worth understanding exactly, because neither one means what the scariest headline would say.
What Google changed
Google’s privacy policy used to say ads weren’t “based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos.” The version effective October 16 added a condition: “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”
To be fair, 9to5Google reports it’s tied to Personal Intelligence, which is opt-in “for the time being,” and that advertisers still won’t see details like your name and email without permission. Still, an absolute promise became a promise with an exception.
What Apple changed
In the 27.3 software, due out in December, Apple will check public iCloud links for harmful content. Photos and files shared with “Anyone with the link” are made accessible to Apple, and that content is no longer end-to-end encrypted, even with Advanced Data Protection on.
To be fair again, this covers public links only. Links shared with “People you choose” aren’t checked. Filtering harmful material is also a reasonable goal. But MacRumors reports that Apple doesn’t define “harmful content,” and that it reserves the right to remove content and act on your account. That’s a lot of discretion.
Why this matters
Neither company is suddenly going through your whole camera roll. My point is smaller and more important: when a company can read your data, your privacy depends on its current policy. Policies change, and your library only gets harder to move.
| Question | Google Photos | iCloud Photos | Ente Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who holds the keys | Apple by default | Only you | |
| End-to-end encrypted | No | Only with Advanced Data Protection | Yes, by default |
| Open source | No | No | Yes |
What end-to-end encryption changes
With end-to-end encryption, your photos are locked on your device before they’re uploaded. The company stores data it can’t read, so a policy change can’t quietly open it up.
That’s why I recently moved my photos to Ente, and I really like it. It’s also the only photo service Privacy Guides recommends:
- Encrypted by default: files are encrypted with your keys before they leave your device.
- Smart without the snooping: Ente says face grouping and search run on your device, so you still get AI features.
- Open source: the code is public, including the server, and you can host it yourself.
- Audited: Cure53 audited the code in 2023 and the platform in 2025, according to Ente.
- Fair pricing: 10 GB is free, and paid plans start at $2.49 a month for 50 GB.
The tradeoffs
No service is perfect, and I’d rather you hear this from me:
- You hold the keys. Keep your password and recovery key safe. Since only you can unlock your photos, losing both could mean losing access for good.
- The free plan keeps fewer copies. Ente’s pricing lists 1 replica for free and 3 for paid plans.
- Ente is a company too. It wants your business, and that email was marketing. Open source code and easy exports are what protect you if it ever changes.
What to do this week
- Download a copy of your library with Google Takeout or Apple’s data tools. Do this whichever service you end up using.
- Follow my backup guide so you own a copy.
- Try Ente’s free 10 GB. It says you can drop a Google or Apple export into its desktop app.
- Stop using “Anyone with the link” for anything private.
The same logic applies to your email, passwords and files, so I put the rest on the Better Alternatives page.