Apple Shares Humorous Privacy-Focused iPhone Ad Where People Overshare Personal Info With Strangers

[jgdeschamps]

I'm laughing becase this privacy thing using Apple devices IS NOT TRUE, and it's the same as in other devices. My brother was using his iPhone yesterday to chat with me using Messages while I was using my MacBook Air. He wrote "I just got some machines to set a small home gym while we are in quarantine. I bought a Nordictrack, and a couple of benches and weights." He sent me screen caps from one of his purchases and the image was taken from the Amazon iPhone app. He did not send me the link for the product. This is the image (wasn't even the Nordictrack, by the way):

Today, I received an e-mail from Amazon stating "Based on your browsing history" and they were offering me a Nordictrack care kit. I didn't look for the product anywhere, not even on Safari or Chrome. We just talked about it. My Amazon browsing history has guitar pedal patch cables and some MIDI controllers, nothing else. It's all BS marketing.

I like their products and I'm not trying to bash Apple, but privacy on the net is achievable by no one. And we've known that since the 90s. Again, BS marketing.

EDIT: Added screen cap from the Messages window with the image and part of the chat.

 

[I7guy]

Keep in mind Apple is calling it a "Human Right" - not just privacy focused. The moment you say something is a "human right", it means that not adhering to the full definition privacy means you as a company are now infringing on a humans basic rights...

Being a "human right" and complying with local regulations are not mutually exclusive. The iphone is still as secure as apple will allow when apple has control of the processes and not third party code executing. That hasn't changed.

Your opinion, which is not mine, is that hosting icloud not in Apples' servers, means Apple is not committed to privacy. That is not my opinion on this.

 

[Axidium]

Welcome to MacRumors! Your case proves that at least one person was swayed by Apple's marketing. Do you have any proof that your privacy is better safeguarded since making the switch?

A big factor was the fact that apple's business model isn't based off my personal data. I don't like the Google/Facebook business model. Google HAS to spy on you since that's their business model, Apple doesn't. Apple doesn't have any incentive to snoop on its users and break their trust so i think that between apple and google, my personal information is safer on an iPhone.

I don't say that i'm safe now, or "off the grid", just safer.

 

[Horselover Fat]

Its cute and humorous but it doesn't really capture the reality of who sees your private information in today's world. For example, there is no way your friends at your table would know you ordered pregnancy tests unless you posted it on Facebook or something... which is a personal choice to share. If you share a device with someone and they for example use the same Amazon account, then they see your search history, but that's not a random person in the park. Pretty much everything in this ad that they are making fun of would have required the individual to choose to make the information available by putting it on Facebook. Companies who's websites you visit are going to see things about your history via cookies, but it is not personal and in some sense I find it better to see ads for things I'm interested in vs. things I could care less about (if I have to see ads at all).

I think, your literal interpretation is out of place, because this is a metaphor. We act as if we had nothing to hide and that's why the people in the ad give away their private details. And that's why there is the line "Some things shouldn't be shared." Nowhere does it talk about real world product usage. You wouldn't stand up during a Hamlet performance and call 911 because people are being killed on stage, would you?

BTW, literal reading often kills great ideas for ads. Out of fear people won't get the message or the idea. This is one of the reasons we have to put up with such horrible advertising most of the time.

 

[routine_analyst]

People still do this... but instead, it's political word dumps on Facebook.

 

[londonhogfan]

As much as I want a Note S20 Ultra it's issues like this that keep me with Apple. I love the S pen and wireless DeX looks awesome. I've had it in my cart two or three times and just can't make the purchase. There's a lot of things about the iPhone that I wish were different, but you know what you're getting with Apple.

 

[centauratlas]

Clever!

Now they just need end to end encryption for everything- backups etc.

“Apple reportedly abandoned plans to let customers fully encrypt back-ups of their iPhones on the company's iCloud following pressure from the FBI.”

FBI 'persuaded Apple to halt iCloud encryption' - BBC News

Apple was reportedly working on the encryption feature two years ago but the FBI objected.

www.google.com

 

[I7guy]

I'm laughing becase this privacy thing using Apple devices IS NOT TRUE, and it's the same as in other devices. My brother was using his iPhone yesterday to chat with me using Messages while I was using my MacBook Air. He wrote "I just got some machines to set a small home gym while we are in quarantine. I bought a Nordictrack, and a couple of benches and weights." He sent me screen caps from one of his purchases and the image was taken from the Amazon iPhone app. He did not send me the link for the product. This is the image (wasn't even the Nordictrack, by the way):

View attachment 949904View attachment 949894

Today, I received an e-mail from Amazon stating "Based on your browsing history" and they were offering me a Nordictrack care kit. I didn't look for the product anywhere, not even on Safari or Chrome. We just talked about it. My Amazon browsing history has guitar pedal patch cables and some MIDI controllers, nothing else. It's all BS marketing.

View attachment 949895

I like their products and I'm not trying to bash Apple, but privacy on the net is achievable by no one. And we've known that since the 90s. Again, BS marketing.

EDIT: Added screen cap from the Messages window with the image.

It's not conceivable that something that was sent in imessage winds up in Amazon. I don't buy it, that type of thing would have been exposed and apple given a black eye.

 

[ghanwani]

Finally a decent ad.

 

[nvmls]

These commercials are funny.
They end up showing the amount of consumers who actually suck up this massive privacy smoke, yet in Safari you can't even block ads without paying for a half baked extension to do something 95% of the browsers do built-in.
And yes, obviously the "new" Safari is still crap in that area, a pop-up showing trackers does nothing.

 

[I7guy]

These commercials are funny.
They end up showing the amount of consumers who actually suck up this massive privacy smoke, yet in Safari you can't even block ads without paying for a half baked extension to do something 95% of the browsers do built-in.
And yes, obviously the "new" Safari is still crap on that area, a pop-up showing trackers does nothing.

In the haste to criticize Apple, it's incorrect about IOS 14 (probably because you haven't used it yet).

The pop-up is showing what the built-in-AI has already blocked not some theoretical information.

 

[the 12th Doctor]

Use DuckDuckGo too. Frig the Google search engine

 

[Andres Cantu]

Bad timing for this ad. Facebook seems to be getting its way with the delay of the iOS 14 limit as tracking.

 

[jgdeschamps]

It's not conceivable that something that was sent in imessage winds up in Amazon. I don't buy it, that type of thing would have been exposed and apple given a black eye.

I do not care if you don't buy it, it's just my personal real experience that corroborates me being the one who ultimately doesn't buy this whole privacy charade that Apple, Google or Samsung present to us.
If Apple wants to corroborate this incident, they can contact me. Wait... they don't need to. They already know.

 

[oldwatery]

Laughing like a drain at all the I love Apple for their security efforts when they just announced this.
“Apple told some developers that it will delay the enforcement of an anti-tracking feature that's being implemented in iOS 14, reports The Information.“
Yes they really care about your privacy until it hits them in their wallet. It’s only about share price.

 

[fredrik9]

Great job. Watching it reminds me of iCloud celebrity nude pic breach, how Chinese citizen iCloud data are stored on CCP government servers, search forwarded to Google in return for billions of dollars, etc.

Those last two I agree with but the "nude pic breach" as you phrase it wasn't a breach at all. Those celebrities were stupid and basically handed their passwords over to questionable clickbait links in emails. No system is safe against stupidity.

 

[satchmo]

Karen

I think that makes you the Karen.

 

[Vanilla35]

You guys are really eating this up aren't you?

 

[I7guy]

I do not care if you don't buy it, it's just my personal real experience that corroborates me being the one who ultimately doesn't buy this whole privacy charade that Apple, Google or Samsung present to us.
If Apple wants to corroborate this incident, they can contact me. Wait... they don't need to. They already know.

edit; Got it, now I understand the web page was rendered when the link was pasted/received. I guess it's like doing a google search and wondering how google knew. No easy answer to how to do this without rendering links except to past a part of link or don't send through imessage.

 

[BWhaler]

Tracking isn't against you as a personal profile, you're just a random number in a system that associates your tracking data to. Also as mentioned above this data isn't just shared with the public. This ad seems to suggest that companies like Google are sharing my credit card number with people? Seems a bit absurd.

In some cases, this is true, but don’t kid yourself, this is not the norm. Not even close.

Google, Facebook, Twitter all want your real name and leverage services to deduce it if you won’t provide it. And the data mining companies have zero interest in you remaining anonymous and are highly adept at getting your true identity—even if the original information was a random number. Credit card number, mobile number of 2FA, phone ID, email address, cross-site cookies, IP address, it’s very easy for them to figure out who you are. You’d be amazed at how easy it is.

Privacy statement mean very little when I can send your anonymous data to a “partner” who you do not know, which does not have the same privacy statement, which will instantly turn that anonymous profile into your real name. And then they will add that data to the information they already have on you or have purchased from other data companies—from credit agencies, insurance data aggregators, credit card companies, store loyalty programs, mobile carriers, social media companies, you name it.

And yes, they don’t give this information to the public. That’s not the point of the ad. There’s no money in it and it would cause a public outroar. But they will sell it to anybody else: any company, government foreign or domestic, bounty hunters, private investigators, insurance companies, political operatives, you name it.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Way to go Apple. I love their commitment to privacy. I know people that say I don’t care about privacy and unfortunately those people don’t realize how data and surveillance impacts people. Keep on protecting. And ban Facebook =P

That’s awesome Apple. I love how Apple takes privacy very serious. unlike Facebook ugh!

Very clever, indeed.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of you!

this commercial should have a serious to drive hone the importance of your personal and discreet data and communications!

it’s time people stop being pimped out for their personal data and NOt be compensated at the very least.

my clever commercial would be

Google/Android: How badly or what would you give for free apps, OS and services?

End User: [insert Chris’ famous line from New Jack City] for it all!
Lmao.

 

[DeepIn2U]

We should be able to help other iPhone users protect their privacy. For example, we should be able to help turn off speakerphone when people are talking on the phone or listening to music on the bus.

man you don’t KNOW how much this is a huge pet peeve of mine!

the worst is speaker phone users almost EATING their phones like a burrito!

 

[LiE_]

In some cases, this is true, but don’t kid yourself, this is not the norm. Not even close.

Google, Facebook, Twitter all want your real name and leverage services to deduce it if you won’t provide it. And the data mining companies have zero interest in you remaining anonymous and are highly adept at getting your true identity—even if the original information was a random number. Credit card number, mobile number of 2FA, phone ID, email address, cross-site cookies, IP address, it’s very easy for them to figure out who you are. You’d be amazed at how easy it is.

Privacy statement mean very little when I can send your anonymous data to a “partner” who you do not know, which does not have the same privacy statement, which will instantly turn that anonymous profile into your real name. And then they will add that data to the information they already have on you or have purchased from other data companies—from credit agencies, insurance data aggregators, credit card companies, store loyalty programs, mobile carriers, social media companies, you name it.

And yes, they don’t give this information to the public. That’s not the point of the ad. There’s no money in it and it would cause a public outroar. But they will sell it to anybody else: any company, government foreign or domestic, bounty hunters, private investigators, insurance companies, political operatives, you name it.

is this based on theory or documented operating practices within these companies ?

 

[DeepIn2U]

Tracking isn't against you as a personal profile, you're just a random number in a system that associates your tracking data to. Also as mentioned above this data isn't just shared with the public. This ad seems to suggest that companies like Google are sharing my credit card number with people? Seems a bit absurd.

you seem tosuggest that analytical companies and huge data research does NOT exist: nor does AirMiles and other pints based services that people have or redeem.

I have a sinking feeling that Big Data analytics that many corporations offer/use also has similar corporations that facilitate data on users. Maybe someone earning les than $60K net/ur in the USA doesn’t make sense as ther spending is limited yet those that have double - it is worth while to track their spending habits.

also your completely ignoring data hacks:

Equifax HUGE data breach for over 60 million end users in N.America alone last year!

Danger Inc over 15yrs algo having data breach with names emails photos and contact # of stars and influencers - recall Paris Hilton’s big rise to fame?!

there’s been a LOT of ransonware the past few years as well.

Credit card fraud occurs every year as well!!

how can you be blind to all of this and so many more and say with a strait face “your data isn’t tracked or shared”.

 

[bankshot]

Nice ad that gets the point across using an analogy that's close to reality. I think the difference from reality (it's not the general public who is viewing your private info, but large organizations) is fine because the analogy gets the main point across to the average person.

I love the new privacy features coming in iOS 14, but I'm disappointed that there's still a huge, gaping hole in photo location privacy. Any app with photo library access can instantly scrape locations and timestamps of your entire library to build a very comprehensive history of your movements going back years. There's still no privacy setting to allow image access without location data, which should be the default.

Apple did recently add an option to the share sheet to strip location, but how often do you send a photo to an app that way rather than directly in the app? It's also easy to miss, just a tiny blue "Options" link at the top of sheet, and the default is to keep location data. And more importantly, direct access from within the app gives no option to strip location.

Maybe it's all pointless (how many companies already have my home address since I ordered something from them?), but this feels more invasive on a visceral level than, say, credit card fraud or even targeted advertising.