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Nah, it won't work. Those companies spent last decade accustoming people to "free" services (while secretly extracting as much info about them as they could), nobody will want to pay them. They created a business model based on tracking people and cannot possibly function without that. So they will do stupid things (as in trying to prove tracking people is good, like Facebook did) because they are fighting for survival. Paper magazines sales are going down, only fraction of people want to pay subscriptions, how they would function without massive ad revenue?
As far as the companies are concerned, the way I see it...tough. Let them die, then.

I don't cry for blacksmiths or switchboard operators or home telephone manufacturers or coal miners either. The world moves on. Get with it, or get out of the way.

If users want to give their info away for free services, I'm sure there will be a path for them. For the rest, it's pay or go away...and I'm great with the idea of people having a re-education of sorts and essentially forcing them to make a more informed choice (which is different than forcing them to make a specific choice).
 
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I don't think you fully understand Apple's ad transparency program. You are not going to get any less ads, you're just going to get ads that are less relevant to you because they will not be tracking your interests. So if you thought they were targeting you with garbage before, just wait until you see what's coming...

then if its valuable he can opt in. Personally I want ads to be generic and not targeted.
 
I have to question how seriously these cases will be viewed by the court. I know that EU countries tend to be more serious about anti-trust, but is that still true if it’s bad for consumer rights?
My understanding is in the US a monopoly is legal but abusing your monopoly is not. In the EU a monopoly is illegal.
 
The German Federal High Court of Justice has already decided in a case between Axel Springer an Eyeo (developer of AdBlock Pro) that Ad-blocking can violate antitrust rules. So it will be quite interesting to see the outcome of this new complaint against Apple.
 
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I don't think you fully understand Apple's ad transparency program. You are not going to get any less ads, you're just going to get ads that are less relevant to you because they will not be tracking your interests. So if you thought they were targeting you with garbage before, just wait until you see what's coming...
Irrelevant garbage is irrelevant garbage, there are no degrees of irrelevance.
I do all I can to avoid their "targeted" nonsense because they have zero idea what interests me. The answer? Not a single thing that will come up as an ad when I'm, as an example, checking the weather - unless they somehow have instantaneous umbrella delivery services should I get caught in an unexpected downpour.
 
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It's time to for something like the BAT token model to change the game. They want to track me? Pay me for access to my data or permission to show me ads. No more free ride on my attention.
 
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So the only way businesses can turn a profit is to secretly track their customers??

They will lose business if they are honest with their customers?

seriously..... that’s their argument?!?
 
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Well, when you’re a small Nation State surrounded by others you’re going to tend to implement Domestic Protectionism.

Will be interesting to watch Brussels reaction as this moves along given their continuous montra over EU Privacy leadership. 😉
 
It's time to for something like the BAT token model to change the game. They want to track me? Pay me for access to my data or permission to show me ads. No more free ride on my attention.
I have used Brave for a long time now and thought that was a very interesting system when implemented.
 
The only anti-trust claim that should work is proving Apple doesn't play by the rules they force on others giving Apple an unfair advantage.
 
So the only way businesses can turn a profit is to secretly track their customers??

They will lose business if they are honest with their customers?

seriously..... that’s their argument?!?
When has it ever been a secret? I don't think anyone has hidden the fact they are collecting data and using that data to sell advertising space.

I have no objection to what Apple is doing, but folks will soon be in uproar when the services they cannot live without start coming with subscriptions because they are no longer supported by advertising; the real irony is, you'll be as swamped as much as ever with advertising, perhaps even more so, it will be just completely irrelevant to the individual...anyone bored yet with having to accept or adjust cookie settings for every website you visit...or do you "accept" them all like apparently 89% of visitors do? People always gravitate to the what is convenient. I reckon once the the tracking options are made available, they will be done in such a way that accepting them is far easier and less tedious then working your way through objecting to them.
 
Nah, it won't work. Those companies spent last decade accustoming people to "free" services (while secretly extracting as much info about them as they could), nobody will want to pay them. They created a business model based on tracking people and cannot possibly function without that

Again a fairly simple solution:

1) Offer no free apps and make tracking and data collection impossible / illegal, this forces the industry to change. I know it is drastic but without criminalizing the behavior companies will forever try to find a way.

2) Offer 2 tiers:
a) Free tier: with a huge notice at install or first run that says this app is free but you agree to invasive tracking and sale of personal information, if you refuse the app won't work. It needs to be worded that way.​
b) Pay tier: 100% zero ads or data collection, make it illegal to do so on a paid app.​

Let the chips fall where they may.
 
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Again a fairly simple solution:

1) Offer no free apps and make tracking impossible / illegal.

2) Offer 2 tiers:
a) Free tier: with a huge notice at install or first run that says this app is free but you agree to invasive tracking and sale of personal information, if you refuse the app won't work. It needs to be worded that way.​
b) Pay tier: 100% zero ads or data collection, make it illegal to do so on a paid app.​

Let the chips fall where they may.
I think this is how it will end up, but sadly 2a will become the norm in my opinion
 
I think this is how it will end up, but sadly 2a will become the norm in my opinion

I'm ok with that because I simply won't use those apps and I think a growing number of consumers will do the same. As the number of "opt out" consumers increases the industry will start offering apps, at a cost, that will have a huge install/first run banner that says "because you paid for this app we don't track you in any way or collect any of your personal data"

Think of this like the growing number of people that use DuckDuckGo instead of Google. Small number today but growing.
 
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I'm ok with that because I simply won't use those apps and I think a growing number of consumers will do the same. As the number of "opt out" consumers increases the industry will start offering apps, at a cost, that will have a huge install/first run banner that says "because you paid for this app we don't track you in any way or collect any of your personal data"

Think of this like the growing number of people that use DuckDuckGo instead of Google. Small number today but growing.
Agreed.

Let it play out.
 
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"as they believe the requirement will make it harder for third parties to gather the data they need to place ads"

Why do all these reports leave out that this is because 60% of people are likely to opt not to be tracked?

The fact that all these companies are so scared about their revenue just seems to solidify the idea that they KNOW people DON'T want to be tracked
 
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I don't cry for blacksmiths or switchboard operators or home telephone manufacturers or coal miners either. The world moves on. Get with it, or get out of the way.

They don't mine coal anymore. They mine METH and PILLS. If you live or lived in Coal Country, you'd know. ;)

DISCLOSURE--I live in Coal Country and see the METH and PILLS every single day. They don't get "trained for a new job," but rather they run straight to the METH and PILLS.
 
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Nine industry associations representing companies like Facebook and publisher Axel Springer today filed an antitrust complaint with Germany's competition regulator over Apple's incoming App Tracking Transparency requirement, according to the Financial Times. This follows a similar complaint filed by advertisers in France last year.

facebook-tracking-notification.jpg

In the complaint, the industry associations reportedly predicted a 60% fall in advertising revenues for app developers, as they believe the requirement will make it harder for third parties to gather the data they need to place ads.

Starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, which will reportedly be released later today, Apple will be requiring apps to receive a user's permission to track their activity for targeted advertising purposes. Apple says this App Tracking Transparency requirement is designed to give users control and transparency in regards to their personal data, and previously outlined privacy-preserving ad measurement alternatives.

SKAdNetwork, for example, lets advertisers know how many times an app was installed after ads for it were seen, without any user or device data being shared. Likewise, Private Click Measurement allows advertisers to measure the impact of ads that lead users to a website while minimizing data collection using on-device processing. Apps can use Private Click Measurement starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5.

Starting today, all iPhone and iPad apps submitted to the App Store must be built with Xcode 12 and the iOS 14 SDK or later, and must adhere to the App Tracking Transparency requirement to collect permission to track users.

Article Link: Antitrust Complaint Filed in Germany Over Apple's Incoming App Tracking Transparency Requirement
Its hard to see how an anti trust case could be upheld, as all Apple are doing is allowing users to decide whether to block organisations. its not apple that are consciously choosing to block anyone.
 
The only anti-trust claim that should work is proving Apple doesn't play by the rules they force on others giving Apple an unfair advantage.
Can you elaborate please?
What Apple is forcing for others that they do not follow?
 
Good luck finding any sympathy for that cause. Maybe game developers should....ummm...you know....charge for their game rather than litter them with obnoxious and annoying ads?
 
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