It's a little bubble that could change a lot of things.
With the release of the iOS 14.5 update on Monday, Apple is offering mobile users a welcome choice: accept or decline to be tracked by apps on their smartphones.
And after having fought this “App Tracking Transparency” with editorial shots in the
Washington Post
, Facebook will have to learn to deal with it.
"Maybe you're okay giving an app your email or location, so they can share your data with others to personalize ads build a profile about you."
Clip much more committed than usual from Apple for its "Don't track" function of iOS 14.5https: //t.co/k0zEonTxEN
- Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) April 26, 2021
Option 1: case by case
You must start by installing the update (compatible with iPhone 6S, SE and newer) by going, if necessary, to Settings, General, Software update. Then, when they are first launched, each app will eventually - this was not the case on Monday evening - ask the user for the green light via a bubble "Allow XXX to track your activities in apps and on websites other companies? ". All you have to do is choose the first option, "Ask the app not to track my activities", to refuse.
This does not mean that Mark Zuckerberg, for example, will no longer be able to collect data when you use Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp or Instagram.
But, if you surf a jeweler's site looking for an engagement ring, Facebook won't be able to find out and bombard you with targeted ads in your News Feed.
Option 2: total blocking
For those who want a more radical approach, Apple has implemented a nuclear option.
By going to Settings, Privacy, Tracking, it is possible to completely disable
tracking
by all apps by unchecking "Allow app tracking requests".
With this choice, the Unique Advertising Identifier (IDFA), which allows advertisers and data merchants to track a user's activities, finds itself muzzled.
But it's a cat and mouse game: other combined data (location, type of smartphone, screen resolution etc.) can be used to try to partially identify a user.
Two opposing economic models
Two models compete in Silicon Valley: Apple sells its smartphones, tablets and computers at a high price, while Facebook and Google offer free services in exchange for Internet users' data, which are used to send them ultra-targeted ads, to very large scale. If the free has allowed the Internet to democratize, abuses, such as the Facebook fiasco with the Cambridge Analytica episode, are on the increase. Since 2015, the public authorities have been banging their fists on the table with heavy fines and users are paying much more attention.
"The entire economy of apps, and even digital advertising, will be upset by this privacy policy," notes Eric Seufert, an independent analyst.
“It fundamentally changes the way of measuring and targeting mobile advertising (…) currently based on what Apple calls 'tracking'”.
Many platforms and applications fear that consumers, faced with choice, will mostly decide to say no.
By the Web
Why it's war between Facebook and Apple on iOS 14
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