Apple 'Records Every Tap' in App Store to Filter New Personalized Recommendations Feature

[neuropsychguy]

"If you don't like Apple Music privacy options, you can stream music from Spotify"

I hope the person quoted wasn't suggesting that Spotify's privacy is better; this is a bad comparison. Spotify is not a privacy-preserving alternative to Apple Music -- it also profiles users for recommendations. Likewise, an alternative iPhone app store could easily collect just as much behavioral data, or more.

Also, it is very likely Apple was already collecting much of this kind of App Store behavioral and telemetry data. Apple's App Store privacy info suggests Apple collects usage information including when users open/close the App Store, what they search for, what they view and download, interactions with push notifications/badges, device/account information, and prior searches/views/downloads/etc. App Store personalization can also use on-device app usage data such as frequently opened apps, time spent in apps, installs, and uninstalls.

I'm not saying I'm supportive of this tracking or opposed to alternative app stores, I'm just highlighting that the Spotify example is a bad one to use and that this really isn't new behavior.

 

[turbineseaplane]

A lot of 3rd party apps do this too with built in tools like CleverTap btw and Apple never cared, that's why I find the whole privacy angle a little shallow when they don't put a stop to certain SDKs.

Yep.
Apple on privacy is a great example of "watch what they do, not what they say".

 

[uacd]

No more looking for porn or other bad stuff now haha 🤣

But isn’t there an orange YouTube for that?😄

 

[ayyyphone]

Personally dont consider it a big deal if its limited in the App store. Would it be nice if they dont do it? Yes. But also understand the need for it.

It becomes a problem when the data handling is bad, or they start sharing (or selling) it to 3rd parties, or be required to share it. I'd rather have my data stay in one place than all over.

 

[neuropsychguy]

So many valid points, but ultimately, if a company touts 'privacy' then they should live that mantra. As mentioned previously, you can't have privacy and ads at the same time. It doesn't work that way.

The App Store is a mess. I avoid it as much as possible. Full of old, useless apps that should be moved to a 'legacy' area. Some of the apps have versions that have not been updated in years.

If I'm ever concerned about the ads and 'junk' in the App Store, I pull out my Pixel, open the Google Play Store, and tell myself, "It could be so much worse." The Play Store is on another level of messiness. My approach with both is to almost always only go to get a specific app I already know exists.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Personally dont consider it a big deal if its limited in the App store. Would it be nice if they dont do it? Yes. But also understand the need for it.

It becomes a problem when the data handling is bad, or they start sharing (or selling) it to 3rd parties, or be required to share it. I'd rather have my data stay in one place than all over.

There is no "need" for collecting every detail of what customers are tapping on.

 

[iDento]

I don’t text or save files in the AppStore, I’m fine with that. Not sure why people are upset.

And about the AppStore being a mess or a giant ad, what do you want from an App Store? It is so much easier to find, purchase, and update apps in the AppStore compared to what we used to have before.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Gross.
And, Apple Store (iPhone app, at least) is increasingly difficult to use.
I've given up going there for any product info.
I only launch it for iUP in Sept.

 

[turbineseaplane]

And about the AppStore being a mess or a giant ad, what do you want from an App Store?

The ability to "not use it at all" and get Apps directly from Devs or in 3rd party App Stores, just like on macOS.

 

[svish]

Disappointing. There should be option for turning off recommendations.

 

[Timpetus]

Don't think that's totally fair. Obviously they're interested in knowing what you search for on the App Store, in as much detail as possible. But if they truly wanted to know everything about you, they wouldn't come up with technologies like iCloud Private Relay or iCloud's Advanced Data Protection. Both of them actively prevent not just other parties, but even Apple themselves to know everything about you.

I'd love to be able to completely anonymize every piece of information that leaves my device. That's the standard for true privacy, while maximizing the usefulness of modern tech up to the limits privacy requires.

 

[MrSnirf]

"If you don't like Apple Music privacy options, you can stream music from Spotify"

I hope the person quoted wasn't suggesting that Spotify's privacy is better; this is a bad comparison. Spotify is not a privacy-preserving alternative to Apple Music -- it also profiles users for recommendations. Likewise, an alternative iPhone app store could easily collect just as much behavioral data, or more.

Also, it is very likely Apple was already collecting much of this kind of App Store behavioral and telemetry data. Apple's App Store privacy info suggests Apple collects usage information including when users open/close the App Store, what they search for, what they view and download, interactions with push notifications/badges, device/account information, and prior searches/views/downloads/etc. App Store personalization can also use on-device app usage data such as frequently opened apps, time spent in apps, installs, and uninstalls.

I'm not saying I'm supportive of this tracking or opposed to alternative app stores, I'm just highlighting that the Spotify example is a bad one to use and that this really isn't new behavior.

I encourage self-hosting as much as possible. We have come a long way in terms of regular people being able to selfhost or rent an encrypted cloud storage to host things yourself. Nobody needs access to 1 million songs when in reality you probably listen to at best 10 to 20 artists on rotation. My goal is to eventually be rid of services like Google Doc, Apple Music, Google Photos, Netflix that is why I'm a big supporter of iOS and Android being forced to support 3rd party alternatives for the built-in services. I want to be able to backup my iPhone to my own private cloud server if i want to and not rely on iCloud or Google Cloud.

 

[iDento]

The ability to "not use it at all" and get Apps directly from Devs or in 3rd party App Stores, just like on macOS.

Move to Europe 😌

However, even on Mac, I prefer the AppStore.

 

[ab2c4]

Must not be very effective with me because in all the years I have used iphones I have never once paid money for an app (and doubt I ever will). If its not free I don't download it. I have never paid money for in-app purchases either.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

That's not the slightest bit creepy. I'm glad there's nowhere else to procure software.

/s

 

[MrSnirf]

Use private DNS that blocks a ton of tracking links. Downside is it might break some functions but in my many years of using private DNS there is not much issues that i can recall.

 

[H2SO4]

I'm surprised that anybody is surprised actually.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

If you guys and gals don't think Apple has been tracking search results on their own store long before this story, you have been asleep at the proverbial wheel.

I don't see how this, in and of itself, is an invasion of privacy. Granted, what @turbineseaplane said rings true and we all need to be mindful of what apps we load and what permissions are allowed.

If Apple were collecting data and personal user information from third party app logins and usage (eg. password managers etc), that would be cause for alarm.

What many of you are ranting about with this occurs with every web search (just to name one example). And a lot of you knowingly use Google because it gives you the results you want. Think about that double standard.

Completely agree.
This is one of those situations where it’s absolutely a bad look for Apple, and now they absolutely need to introduce a toggle to opt out of it.
But… it is their app marketplace. Of course, they have been tracking what users purchase, view and download.. is there any online marketplace that doesn’t?

 

[IceCool]

If you guys and gals don't think Apple has been tracking search results on their own store long before this story, you have been asleep at the proverbial wheel.

I don't see how this, in and of itself, is an invasion of privacy. Granted, what @turbineseaplane said rings true and we all need to be mindful of what apps we load and what permissions are allowed.

If Apple were collecting data and personal user information from third party app logins and usage (eg. password managers etc), that would be cause for alarm.

What many of you are ranting about with this occurs with every web search (just to name one example). And a lot of you knowingly use Google because it gives you the results you want. Think about that double standard.

This is the best take of everyone here and, evidently, I fully agree.

I also feel that people are jumping to a lot of conclusions when we don’t really know enough information yet. For example, if it sends this to Apple via a UUID, then where’s the privacy breach? If they don’t know anything about who is making the search, I don’t really see the problem.

It’s also iOS 27 beta 1. It’s very plausibly that disabling Personalized Recommendations will prevent this, but does not currently. It’s also very possible that in a later beta, Apple will introduce a toggle to turn this off - even more likely if people start complaining about this more.

 

[Anonymous123]

Are you kidding me?! This is completely unacceptable from a company claiming privacy is one of its core tenants. Apple is quickly becoming the Big Brother it warned us about back in 1984.

It’s sad, this quote from the commercial starts to ring true about Apple itself:

“Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology—where each worker may bloom, secure from the pests of any contradictory thoughts. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on Earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!”

 

[turbineseaplane]

I also feel that people are jumping to a lot of conclusions when we don’t really know enough information yet.

No more information is needed. They shouldn't be recording your "every tap", for any reason at all.

 

[lepetitnicolas]

I
IF

AppStore tracking my every tap I have only 1 message for you : 

 

[t0rqx]

Its not just App Store its the whole device, including rotating, dropping it etc...

 

[BeatsByTim]

Did you know when you

Yep, look at all the trackers they have as well, it is ridiculously hypocritical.

Yeah. The only reason they are blocked for me is that I use Microsoft Edge. That way I don't get scroogled by mac rumours.

 

[boswald]

Upon further thought, this is a bad look for Apple for sure, but also, what happens if this data is leaked? Is it linked to us in any way? I know, I know, Who cares what you search for", but what about local apps? Maybe I'm thinking too much into it.