- Apple’s iOS 14 makes a strong move to boost user privacy
- The change is an attack on ad-based models – says Facebook
- The new feature disables location tracking within apps
With the latest iOS update, Apple introduced a plethora of new features. But the most important feature would be the ability to block tracking. This Apple Privacy was introduced last month with the launch of iOS 14. This change to Apple’s identifier for advertisers (IDFA) enables users to block tracking when an app is being used.
While the rollout was delayed, it was criticized by Facebook. David Fischer, Facebook’s Chief Revenue Officer, points it as an attack on business models that support ads.
Facebook comments on the new iOS 14 features
At a virtual Advertising Week session, Fischer pointed out that certain facts like:
Facebook along with other business models is meant to be preserved. This is because these models allow content creation freely. A lot of businesses run purely on the basis of advertising being their main source of income. Lately, the number of companies being scrutinized for running too many ads is increasing. This seems unfair to Fischer since it threatens their sources of income. The changes proposed by Apple seem very large and could damage businesses and app developers.
He claimed that Apple is a luxury hardware or subscription service, provider. It is incorrect for Apple to demand businesses operating on its devices to follow its business model. He stated that there are multiple business models out there. One of those is Apple, which sells luxury hardware and services. Hence, it is inappropriate for Apple to dictate business rules for multiple business models.
“Many businesses rely on advertising, in our case, personalized ads, to enable free products, enable businesses to launch and grow and thrive, we’re going to defend that. And we think it really important that not just we but our industry does that,” says Fischer.
Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, also commented on this during an interview. He says ad rates will drop by up to 50% after Apple’s privacy changes were implemented. iOS 14’s new feature makes it harder for apps to track its users.
What changes were made?
iPhone users can configure each app on how it can access their phone’s location. The usual options in the Location Services to hide, always show or only show when the app is open are still there.
The new Precise Location toggle switch is added. When this is switched on, an app knows the general area they’re in, but not the exact GPS coordinates. Apple has reportedly delayed the feature to 2021 and implemented it after getting feedback from the developers.
Apple introduced another security feature like notifying when the camera or mic is in use. The notification will show up as green or red.
When the Control Centre is launched, it shows which app recently used the camera or microphone. The green dot indicated that the camera is being used while the red dot shows when an app uses the microphone.
