Apple Takes A Swipe At Companies Like Facebook In Short Clip
May 22, 2021Apple is an advocate of user privacy. It’s tussle with Facebook on data tracking has shown just how much our information means to social media platforms and to an extension digital marketers. Cupertino has built a feature into iOS that prevents apps from gathering data from a user. This is what’s got Facebook foaming at the mouth because digital marketing accounts for a large portion of its income.
In a thinly-veiled swipe at certain marketing companies, Apple published a new privacy video. Like those that preceeded it, the short clip depicts an exaggerated view of how valuable your personal data is to various entities throughout the internet. This is meant to serve as a reminder to users that unauthorised data collection doesn’t require any hacking of sorts. Instead, all you have to do is fill your name on an online form, book a trip on a ride sharing app or shop online.
One of the main allures of jumping on the iOS bandwagon is the almost religious devotion that the company displays toward preventing unauthorised data collection. This and the firm grip that Apple has over the App Store, dramatically reduces the chances of anyone stealing your data or taking control of your iOS device. That said, many of the free services that we enjoy today have been made possible through the use of data collection.
Google’s Search services rely highly on ad placements and other marketing tactics to fund its existence. The same is true of YouTube and various other services. That is probably why Apple has drawn the ire of Facebook and its legion of advertisers. As sad as this might sound, many of us understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch. In order to receive something for free, we would need to reciprocate by offering something of similar value in return i.e. user data.
That’s why we allow our data to be ‘anonymously’ collected for the sake of enjoying online content without having to empty our pockets. This is a sad state of affairs but it’s how the internet works at the moment. Bombarding us with ads is what keeps most of the internet free, for now. Maybe Apple can find a way round this too.
