Apple Is Holding My Pictures Hostage Until I Accept Their New Terms of Service

7 hours ago

The author's iPad stopped playing locally recorded videos, showing only the first frame without playback.
Apple deleted local copies of photos and videos, only restoring access after the author agreed to new terms of service.
Photos appeared blurry on the iPad due to an error loading higher-quality versions, linked to iCloud settings.
The author never paid for iCloud, yet photos were uploaded and local copies deleted, causing minimal local storage usage.
After agreeing to the new terms, videos returned, prompting the author to enable settings to keep local copies.
The terms of service allow Apple to change terms with notice, terminate service for violations, and take necessary enforcement steps, but none explicitly permit blocking content until new terms are accepted.
Individual steps like auto-uploading to iCloud, deleting local copies by default, and requiring agreement for service access seem benign alone but collectively create a coercive environment.
The author reflects on the dystopian nature of the situation, where Apple controls access to personal content, and suggests Apple should allow access even without agreeing to new terms.
The experience reinforces the author's avoidance of Apple products due to the 'walled garden' approach, with plans to limit future purchases.

Hasty Briefsbeta