YouCanLearnThis.com

Useful Tech Tips for Non-Techies

  • Home
  • Useful Tech Tips
  • Tech News
  • iPhone Photography
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Apple vs. Facebook: The Privacy Battle of Our Times

By iPad Pete 3 Comments

Earlier this year, Apple made international headlines when it announced that it would be bringing a new “App Tracking Transparency” feature to iPhones across the globe.

Debuting with the iOS 14 operating system, this new feature essentially requires users to opt into having their personal information tracked for the purposes of targeted advertising.

Prior to the update, apps could anonymously collect information, like which links you click or websites you visit, in order to understand your interests and serve you more targeted, more personal ads.

This created an enormous amount of controversy in the advertising world. It also generated frustration from companies that make most of their money through targeted advertising – with Facebook being at the top of that list.

The War for Mobile Privacy Has Begun

Initially, advertisers had estimated that as many as 40% of iPhone users would opt into this type of tracking. Not great, but not necessarily the end of the world.

That, as it turns out, may have been a bit of a conservative estimate.

According to one recent study, less than 6% of people have opted in as of May 2021. Based on the pace of adoption, that’s also not looking like a number that will be increasing in any meaningful way.

In response to all of this, over the last year Facebook has taken out full page ads in an attempt to call attention to how “wrong” this new feature is. They have been trying to get as much sympathetic coverage as possible, all while trying to convince its users to opt into the tracking as soon as they’re able to.

Which, doesn’t seem to be working.

Facebook is more than just a social media platform – it’s a business with an entire operational model that depends on its ability to collect as much data as possible on its users. That information is then used to show “personalized ads” which is valuable to its advertisers.

So over the long-term, it’s easy to see a scenario where advertisers use Facebook’s ad platform less because they’re simply not seeing the results out of it that they wanted. This in turn would probably lead them over to Apple’s competing ad platform – which, if your name is Mark Zuckerberg, is probably one of the only things that can manage to keep you up at night.

Time will tell how all of this plays out, but one thing is for sure – it’s a development that people are going to be paying close attention to moving forward.

Let your friends know about Apple vs Facebook in App Tracking by using the Share Buttons below… I really appreciate you helping to spread the word about my Free Daily iPhone Tips! 

Related Posts:

  1. iPhone’s Privacy vs Facebook Apple takes privacy seriously, and while its drive for increased user protection gives users control of their data, it may have unforeseen consequences on a wide range of businesses. Beginning...
  2. Is Facebook Really Listening? New Privacy Changes. Facebook is about to make some big changes to user profiles. Starting December 1st, the fields for religious views, political views, addresses, and “Interested in” will be removed from user...
  3. Apple Announces New MacBook Air that’s Up to 5 Times Faster If you’re in the market for a new MacBook Air, Apple has just announced their newest model – and it comes with some pretty incredible upgrades. The biggest change is...
  4. Facebook Warning: These Apps are Stealing Passwords – Are You Affected? Meta has notified around a million users that they may have been put at risk by over 400 malicious apps that steal your Facebook password. The notifications aim to inform...

Filed Under: Features, Tech News

Comments

  1. Edward Cascardo says

    at

    How do I opt in to this tracking device. Is it automatic or can you provide step by step instructions?

    Reply
  2. Rose Histon says

    at

    Instructions would be appreciated how to opt out ?
    Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Dorrie says

    at

    So how do you opt in?
    Is there an APP, explain further please.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top Tech Tips

Netflix Cracking Down on Password Sharing

Is the Cloud Safe for Personal Information?

Scam Alert: Amazon Delivers Dog Food Instead of iPhone

Save Money on Streaming with This Simple Trick

Elon Musk Sets New World Record (And It’s Not a Good Thing)

Can Anyone Access Your iPhone While You Sleep? (Check This Hidden Setting!)

New Scam Alert: Anti-Virus Impersonation Email!

AirTags: The Easy Way to Track Your Luggage

Discover the Best Calendar Apps for Your iPhone

Cut Clutter With iPhone’s New Photo Duplicate Remover!

Try This iPhone Trick to Reduce Anxiety.

Create an iPhone Emergency Lockscreen Lifeline Now! (Before You Forget!)

About · Contact Us · Get Free Daily Tech Tips
Copyright © 2023 · YouCanLearnThis.com