Apple Delays Ad Anti-Tracking Features Planned for iOS 14 [Updated]

[icanhazmac]

Lots of short-sighted responses here...

Starting with yours, I buy my apps.

We all want our uneaten cake in one hand while stuffing our faces with a second slice in the other...
This is what happens when we want things for "free"

NOT all of us!

Business isn't a one way street, it's a relationship between buyer and seller

Then PLEASE allow me to be a buyer instead of using me as compensation without my consent.

Maybe if we didn't feel entitled to something without a just and equal investment, we wouldn't have an issue.

Again, not all of us! Look to your own community. If devs didn't jump at the chance to be lazy copy cats fed by ad revenue instead of truly making something people wanted enough to pay for we wouldn't have an issue.

Apple could stand to lose a ton of apps in the App Store because of this feature.

So what? There are a thousand word search game apps, if 990 of them disappeared who would care? How many do we need?

If you like your inexpensive devices and your free apps, you can't also have this feature.

My device is NOT inexpensive and I pay for my apps. I want this feature YESTERDAY not in 3 months.

Sorry!

 

[BuffaloTF]

I kinda feel like that image of "Allow Tracking" as option 1 and "Allow Tracking" as option 2 was almost always going to be the case anyway. Perhaps a more limited variation of that, but not ever fully gone. Disappointing, for sure.

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

Wow... So Apple is delaying this feature NOT because of technical issues, but because evil apps are protesting and Apple is siding with those tracking apps in this case, giving them more time to think of other ways to bypass the anti tracking features. WTF is wrong with apple? They promised to ALWAYS side with the consumer in PREVENTING GOD DAMN AD TRACKING. Totally unacceptable and goes against the core values.

 

[Rogifan]

Maybe your company should start innovating on how to reach out to more consumers without vacuuming up their user data and compromising their privacy. Else, it doesn’t matter how innovative or essential your app is; I want no part of it.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1301681036804333568

I think Apple has some responsibility here. They’ve conditioned users to expect apps to be free. Well how does someone offer a free app without using ads? Apple could allow developers to offer upgrade pricing or free trials.

People hate ads and being tracked but they also don’t want to pay for things. If people were willing to pay a monthly fee to use Facebook or Instagram or Twitter they would have implemented that already. People want the impossible: a free product and no ads. Good luck.

 

[tegranjeet]

Starting with yours, I buy my apps.

NOT all of us!

Then PLEASE allow me to be a buyer instead of using me as compensation without my consent.

Again, not all of us! Look to your own community. If devs didn't jump at the chance to be lazy copy cats fed by ad revenue instead of truly making something people wanted enough to pay for we wouldn't have an issue.

So what? There are a thousand word search game apps, if 990 of them disappeared who would care? How many do we need?

My device is NOT inexpensive and I pay for my apps. I want this feature YESTERDAY not in 3 months.

Sorry!

“not all of us”

of course it’s not all of us. But it’s truly the majority. it’s great you pay for your apps but you are definitely in the minority.

however, the free apps are a necessity and they will always be around, hopefully. Why? It’s the sign of an open market because it represents the bottom of the market, it’s the lowest barrier to entry. We are always complaining about the price of a new flagship iPhone, so Apple keeps an iPhone SE available, lowest barrier to entry. Do you really think Apple wants to obliterate it’s App Store by removing its lowest barrier of entry?

We lose free apps (bottom falls out), surely the quality of every other app will degrade, eventually losing the market altogether. Free apps can become paid, but they usually need a little help first.

 

[icanhazmac]

however, the free apps are a necessity and they will always be around, hopefully. Why? It’s the sign of an open market because it represents the bottom of the market, it’s the lowest barrier to entry. We are always complaining about the price of a new flagship iPhone, so Apple keeps an iPhone SE available, lowest barrier to entry. Do you really think Apple wants to obliterate it’s App Store by removing its lowest barrier of entry?

We lose free apps (bottom falls out), surely the quality of every other app will degrade, eventually losing the market altogether. Free apps can become paid, but they usually need a little help first.

I disagree!

Free apps are only around because the ad generated revenue stream allows for their existence. While I would agree that they represent the bottom of the market, the bottom is not always good. Again I have seen, in these very forums, devs lamenting copy-cat devs from low labor cost countries that copy-cat apps because they can just get an ad service to pay the bills, they didn't invest, they didn't innovate they didn't do anything except copy anothers work. Why do we need a thousand word search game apps?!?! This doesn't make the app store better, its just cluttered. These tend to be low quality, bug ridden, crap apps.

Your comparison of free apps to the iPhone SE is not very good, the SE is not FREE supported by ads, it is simply a lesser cost for lesser features. If a dev wants to create an app, or copy someone else's, providing a lesser experience in favor of a LOWER cost (note lower, not FREE) then so be it but eliminating free apps will not be the end of the app store or the end of apps or the end of Apple, it will simply be the end of the consumer being the compensation without consent.

I strongly disagree with your assumption that the loss of free apps will degrade the market, I feel it will greatly impove the market of apps available as devs will compete with innovation and features. Small devs can raise capital the old fashioned way instead of selling out their customers by selling their data. Small business loans, venture capital, working after hours, all solid approaches to growing a new business.

 

[tegranjeet]

I disagree!

Free apps are only around because the ad generated revenue stream allows for their existence. While I would agree that they represent the bottom of the market, the bottom is not always good. Again I have seen, in these very forums, devs lamenting copy-cat devs from low labor cost countries that copy-cat apps because they can just get an ad service to pay the bills, they didn't invest, they didn't innovate they didn't do anything except copy anothers work. Why do we need a thousand word search game apps?!?! This doesn't make the app store better, its just cluttered. These tend to be low quality, bug ridden, crap apps.

Your comparison of free apps to the iPhone SE is not very good, the SE is not FREE supported by ads, it is simply a lesser cost for lesser features. If a dev wants to create an app, or copy someone else's, providing a lesser experience in favor of a LOWER cost (note lower, not FREE) then so be it but eliminating free apps will not be the end of the app store or the end of apps or the end of Apple, it will simply be the end of the consumer being the compensation without consent.

I strongly disagree with your assumption that the loss of free apps will degrade the market, I feel it will greatly impove the option available as devs will compete with innovation and features. Small devs can raise capital the old fashioned way instead of selling out their customers buy selling their data.

just because the bottom of the market seems “bad” to you doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary for the market’s existence.

I only made the SE reference as an analogy to the barrier of entry. there is always going to be lowest barrier of entry to a market, iPhone SE is to iPhone market is as free apps are to app market. Currently, that’s how it is.

the best market is one free from the rules and regulations from greedy governments and corporations. The free App Store provides just that. Apple doesn’t get any direct revenue (outside the $99 dev fee) but the free apps make the App Store more popular and a viable platform for more “luxury” apps for those that are willing to purchase

this feature would be another step for Apple trying to be a government over their market. I think they are realizing that. We need a little bit of governance but Apple has to be careful here

Personally I have a published app that pulls in revenue on a subscription model. I would never have developed the app unless the App Store was a viable place for it. And it is because there are so many apps and customers, most free, and that pulls in more customers who may decide to pay later. It’s a great storefront.

removing the tracking ability to serve up relevant ads hurts the free app market, which damages the market as a whole. Is this hard to understand?

 

[russell_314]

Apple is not in business of selling ads. (they literally do not profit from ads)

The exception I can think of is selling default setting for search engine to the highest bidder. Indirectly they are benefitting from ad revenues there, but even then they are not really selling ads.

I mean allowing the sale of ads. Yes they don't directly sell ads but they profit from ads being sold on their platform.

 

[Ortiz83]

It’s just delayed. It’s still coming. You act like you haven’t been tracked for the past 40 years.

 

[C DM]

Its already in iOS 13

That is somewhat different.

 

[Abazigal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1301681036804333568

I think Apple has some responsibility here. They’ve conditioned users to expect apps to be free. Well how does someone offer a free app without using ads? Apple could allow developers to offer upgrade pricing or free trials.

People hate ads and being tracked but they also don’t want to pay for things. If people were willing to pay a monthly fee to use Facebook or Instagram or Twitter they would have implemented that already. People want the impossible: a free product and no ads. Good luck.

For me personally, it’s not that I have stopped paying for apps, but that the App Store is so crowded that I have stopped browsing it for new apps. I am subscribed to MacStories and now mainly rely on the writer to curate and surface fresh and relevant apps to my attention.

People are willing to spend $5 a day on a cup of Starbucks coffee but not on an app they could in theory use for many years before the developer stops supporting it.

Has the market for paid apps devalued to such an extent, or are the developers not doing a good enough job of communicating the value of said app to the consumers?

 

[MacBH928]

If you think Apple is your friend you are wrong, they are your business partner and they look for their own self interest not yours.

Be sure to look out for yourself when privacy comes into play. Shutdown location, use FOSS, install a pihole and adblocker. Use, support, preach, and donate to privacy oriented services and software like FireFox, Signal, ProtonMail, and DuckDuckGo.

 

[Sensible Apple fan]

Who do you want to switch to? Android currently has not announced anything like this. Apple are maybe delaying, not stopping the feature. You will get it eventually.

I won’t pay a premium for a company dictated by Facebook. Apple will lose reliability and credibility. It’s privacy and security I pay for when buying Apple products. A non secure phone is as good as android. Why pay 1000 USD to Apple when I can get 100USD xiaomi...

 

[moobat]

I’ve seen ad based games hang and/or crash in iOS 14 betas. There is a proliferation of “free to play” games that are just coin earners whereby even if you don’t tap the “double coins” ad watching bonus, you’re still subjected to another 30 second ad - it’s mostly those games which seem to be crapping out.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

The BEST way to protest this (even if it's not true): DELETE your Facebook account now.

I did this long ago, and I couldn’t be happier.

 

[femike]

Under Tim Cook's leadership, it is the investors that have the bigger influence, and they were not happy.
Apple folded due to pressure from Facebook and others and the investors.
Pathetic.

 

[Dremmel]

Facebook should abandon IOS. Those that feel they really need it can get an Android phone. That goes for any other companies that glutton out on data mining. The iPhone may sell a few less units but it will be a more honest platform for it.

 

[I7guy]

I won’t pay a premium for a company dictated by Facebook. Apple will lose reliability and credibility. It’s privacy and security I pay for when buying Apple products. A non secure phone is as good as android. Why pay 1000 USD to Apple when I can get 100USD xiaomi...

In the meantime iOS 14 has better privacy options than iOS 13, which already has better privacy controls than android. It’s just that apple is delaying an implementation. I think they have to tread lightly given the ongoing antitrust “sentiment”.

 

[icanhazmac]

removing the tracking ability to serve up relevant ads hurts the free app market, which damages the market as a whole. Is this hard to understand?

So even though most people, given the option, will opt out of tracking you feel it serves the greater good so we should all just be subject to invasive tracking without our consent? Got it.

How about this, force "opt-in" tracking and make free app functionality based on "opt-in", lets see where the chips fall. I am very sure that some people don't care enough or are so cheap they will trade their privacy for a free game but the rest will say "well, I guess I need to buy it". They will buy less apps but they will be more committed and engaged with those apps.

I think it has been proven that most people don't want to be tracked so they should be given the choice to "opt-in" thereby consenting.... Is this hard to understand?

 

[RollTide1017]

You can still have ads without tracking my personal data. TV has done this for decades. What this proves is that these companies weren't making the bulk of their money from the ads themselves but, rather your data being collected and sold.

If Apple truly cares about our privacy then they need to enable this feature immediately. Screw developers who make money off of my personal data without my permission. You want to show me an ad, fine but, you do not need my personal information tracked across multiple websites to show me an ad.

 

[Rogifan]

For me personally, it’s not that I have stopped paying for apps, but that the App Store is so crowded that I have stopped browsing it for new apps. I am subscribed to MacStories and now mainly rely on the writer to curate and surface fresh and relevant apps to my attention.

People are willing to spend $5 a day on a cup of Starbucks coffee but not on an app they could in theory use for many years before the developer stops supporting it.

Has the market for paid apps devalued to such an extent, or are the developers not doing a good enough job of communicating the value of said app to the consumers?

This is interesting in the context of all the discussions around Apple’s 30% cut. You’re using a 3rd party website to curate the App Store and surface new/interesting apps for you.

 

[Abazigal]

This is interesting in the context of all the discussions around Apple’s 30% cut. You’re using a 3rd party website to curate the App Store and surface new/interesting apps for you.

Yup, I am.

 

[hypertoast]

maybe its political in nature.. to delay this feature until after US elections... so rumors can fly off the shelves and promote more insanity / conspiracy theory amongst people

 

[tegranjeet]

So even though most people, given the option, will opt out of tracking you feel it serves the greater good so we should all just be subject to invasive tracking without our consent? Got it.

How about this, force "opt-in" tracking and make free app functionality based on "opt-in", lets see where the chips fall. I am very sure that some people don't care enough or are so cheap they will trade their privacy for a free game but the rest will say "well, I guess I need to buy it". They will buy less apps but they will be more committed and engaged with those apps.

I think it has been proven that most people don't want to be tracked so they should be given the choice to "opt-in" thereby consenting.... Is this hard to understand?

OMG mah privacies!!

this privacy propaganda Apple spits out is BS and you know it.

the only thing shared is an identifier. That’s it. It has no relationship to you as a person.

tracking your browsing actually makes your life better, yet Apple has gotten us emotionally invested in the idea that we can be tracked right into our living rooms. this can not happen.

the data you provide as a consumer is valuable and helps better the overall market, driving business choices to be aligned with the actual products and services we are looking for and ultimately what we choose. This drives good business decisions.

why we gotta be such takers and not givers and receivers? A trade is a trade

 

[icanhazmac]

OMG mah privacies!!

this privacy propaganda Apple spits out is BS and you know it.

That is BS and YOU know it! Why are apps grabbing the clipboard every 2 seconds? A bug?

the only thing shared is an identifier. That’s it. It has no relationship to you as a person.

Perhaps under the best of circumstances but I don't trust anyone, see above, do you really expect me to believe that TikTok, Starbucks, LinkedIn, etc all had the clipboard "bug" or were they scraping identifiable data?

the only thing shared is an identifier. That’s it. It has no relationship to you as a person.

tracking your browsing actually makes your life better, yet Apple has gotten us emotionally invested in the idea that we can be tracked right into our living rooms. this can not happen.

Again, wrong, that may be the first level but tracking is far more invasive. Again, why does a simple word search game need to know my location but miraculously still works when I refuse? Why does Waze want my location when I am not using the app? Why do smart TVs "ping" home every minute? There are weekly stories about apps, devices, etc that are caught doing questionable things.

the data you provide as a consumer is valuable and helps better the overall market, driving business choices to be aligned with the actual products and services we are looking for and ultimately what we choose. This drives good business decisions.

why we gotta be such takers and not givers and receivers? A trade is a trade

So regardless of my desire not to contribute you feel I need to forced to provide my data? You feel a word search game should have access to my web browsing history? You don't see any potential issues here?

Thankfully you are here to tell me what is good for me, surely I'm too stupid to make an informed decision for myself, nor should I be entitled to control over my data via an "opt-in".

So scared your spy-based revenue stream will dry up? Again, force opt-in and tie free app functionality to the opt-in and let the consumer choose.