Apple's Shazam Partnership Could Boost Advertising Efforts

[Jimrod]

This functionality would allow Apple to know what a user prefers to watch and listen to. For example, if someone was watching Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones, Apple's media recognition capabilities could theoretically automatically identify what's being watched, cataloging it for future use in advertisements.



Do it Apple!

That's why targeted advertising sucks, because it's always badly implemented - for example: I bought a camera online last year, for the next week all I saw online was ads for that very camera, which I already owned. Both irritating and pointless. It'll now be the case that I watch Game of Thrones and my phone will tell me to catch up on Game of Thrones, which I've already done! No thanks.

 

[Abazigal]

I can imagine that in addition to all the privacy claims this would also be a huge battery drain if it is always listening and analyzing and cataloging and the like. If they do this, i would switch it off due to privacy concern as well as battery concern.

The moto X phone has an always on microphone. I expect Apple will do something similar, maybe with the m8 processor?

 

[jaymzuk]

Any "off-the-shelf derogatory comments hurled at Google at every opportunity" comments are totally Googles own doing. People see the shady antics of google and they call them out for it. Perhaps the google reality distortion field stops you from seeing what they are doing but its time to wake up and see google for the privacy breaching shady company they truly are.

There are two points to take with this post:

A) Please elaborate on 'shady antics' that are over and above other companies

B) 'Reality distortion field' - I see what google are doing. And I'm completely fine with it. I realise that wherever you are on the internet, you're being tracked, somehow, someway. That might be Google tracking my search terms, or using algorithms based on words in my emails to try and sell me ads. Which I don't see because I use programs to block them, and if there's anything particularly sensitive, I'll use another email address not on gmail (Not that it matters hugely given most providers are much of a muchness, but I digress). In the past, it could have been through UDID, and on my iPhone I couldn't block those ads. Or it could be through less personal means like IDFA, or even simply iTunes or Spotify suggesting me songs based on what I've historically bought and listened to, or Amazon through things I've looked at and bought.

And I'm fine with all of it.

I'm fine with it because every time I type in personal or sensitive information on the internet, I'm conscious of the potential consequences. I take simple steps to safeguard myself, I research companies before I interact with them. I realize that my safety and my privacy or lack thereof on the internet is solely my responsibility.

Now there are privacy concerns at a far greater level than simply Google, Apple or Amazon, however those governmental level concerns are completely separate to those at a corporate level. And at a corporate level, there are suitable pieces of legislation that cover privacy breaches for EU citizens.

Or I can just throw my hands up in the air and run around like a loon at the mere hint of advertising or tracking.

 

[nagromme]

BOTH Apple and Google sell anonymous targeted slots, but NEITHER one sells any personal info to advertisers.

The personal info that Apple gathers from their stores like iTunes, and the info Google gathers from services like Search, are only worth ad placement money as long as it's kept secret from advertisers.

If you define "personal" and "anonymous" carefully enough, you can make Apple and Google sound the same to the uninformed. But their business models are completely different, and privacy is central to that. The user truly IS Apple's customer giving them nearly all their profit. And the advertiser truly IS Google's customer giving them nearly all their profit.

 

[kdarling]

If you define "personal" and "anonymous" carefully enough, you can make Apple and Google sound the same to the uninformed.

Google might have more chances to collect personal data than Apple currently does, but Apple and Google are the same when it comes to how they treat the personal data that each gathers:

Neither one of them sells the data itself. Both use it to create anonymous sales slots to sell to advertisers. Both also state in their privacy agreements that they can sell or give away aggregate data, as they consider that to be non-personal.

In any case, the advertisers do NOT get any personal data from Apple or Google (as you have incorrectly claimed several times now).

But their business models are completely different, and privacy is central to that. The user truly IS Apple's customer giving them nearly all their profit. And the advertiser truly IS Google's customer giving them nearly all their profit.

This thread is about ads. In the case of ads, both Apple's and Google's customers are the advertisers.

 

[Oletros]

If you define "personal" and "anonymous" carefully enough, you can make Apple and Google sound the same to the uninformed.

And how is he wrong? Can you elaborate your claims about Google selling personal information to advertisers? Or it is just a poor attempt of backpedaling from your FUD?

 

[PlanetFree]

There are two points to take with this post:

A) Please elaborate on 'shady antics' that are over and above other companies

B) 'Reality distortion field' - I see what google are doing. And I'm completely fine with it. I realise that wherever you are on the internet, you're being tracked, somehow, someway. That might be Google tracking my search terms, or using algorithms based on words in my emails to try and sell me ads. Which I don't see because I use programs to block them, and if there's anything particularly sensitive, I'll use another email address not on gmail (Not that it matters hugely given most providers are much of a muchness, but I digress). In the past, it could have been through UDID, and on my iPhone I couldn't block those ads. Or it could be through less personal means like IDFA, or even simply iTunes or Spotify suggesting me songs based on what I've historically bought and listened to, or Amazon through things I've looked at and bought.

And I'm fine with all of it.

I'm fine with it because every time I type in personal or sensitive information on the internet, I'm conscious of the potential consequences. I take simple steps to safeguard myself, I research companies before I interact with them. I realize that my safety and my privacy or lack thereof on the internet is solely my responsibility.

Now there are privacy concerns at a far greater level than simply Google, Apple or Amazon, however those governmental level concerns are completely separate to those at a corporate level. And at a corporate level, there are suitable pieces of legislation that cover privacy breaches for EU citizens.

Or I can just throw my hands up in the air and run around like a loon at the mere hint of advertising or tracking.

You must have your head in the sand or you are such a google fanboy that you overlook googles shady antics here are a couple of googles antics for you to enjoy. Of course to you perhaps google can do no wrong but you just have to take a look at what that company is doing and you will see what a shady underhand privacy breaching data mining company google really is.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/...m-fine-for-harvesting-wireless-data-in-the-US


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...g-Safari-users-STILL-refuses-admit-wrong.html

 

[LeBart]

If you define "personal" and "anonymous" carefully enough, you can make Apple and Google sound the same to the uninformed.

And how is he wrong? Can you elaborate your claims about Google selling personal information to advertisers? Or it is just a poor attempt of backpedaling from your FUD?

Of course they do. that's their business. Selling information to advertisers. Or how did you think Google made money?? http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-prevent-google-from-tracking-you/

On the other hand, Apple's business is customer-centric. How can we make the best products for our customers. That's why we pay a premium price for it and that's why Apple will NEVER allow that a consumer will be tracked. It will only harm them in the end.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/18/ad...apples-practice-of-protecting-its-users-data/

In the end, this article is ******** and 'Macrumors' should know it. Not worth a publication.

 

[jaymzuk]

You must have your head in the sand or you are such a google fanboy that you overlook googles shady antics here are a couple of googles antics for you to enjoy. Of course to you perhaps google can do no wrong but you just have to take a look at what that company is doing and you will see what a shady underhand privacy breaching data mining company google really is.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/...m-fine-for-harvesting-wireless-data-in-the-US


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...g-Safari-users-STILL-refuses-admit-wrong.html

Okay, let's roll this back a level.

I do nothing online that I would be ashamed of, or concerned about people knowing without being fully aware of the risks and consequences.

Any company worth their salt tries to track their users in one way or another, and I recognise this.Do I care for Google harvesting the WiFi information that my neighbours across the street or next door could see? Not in the slightest. Am I upset that Google could have tracked my Safari web usage? Again, no.

Now I'd have been more annoyed if someone stole my iPhone and I was unable to prevent messages being sent to that device, even if it had been wiped remotely (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/06/apple-compensates-victim-of-imessage-bug-for-breach-of-privacy/)

And I might have been annoyed if my iCloud account security had been breached with a phone call (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/06/how-a-hacker-gained-access-to-a-reporters-icloud-account/)

But the wider issue is that we have massive companies who are unable to prevent things like this happening because various teams work independently. But I take steps to mitigate the risks. I don't simply look at one company and put all my trust in them because 'Company X is good and Company Y is bad'. You can look at what Google did and think it was malicious, that's entirely your prerogative to do so. Myself, I don't know and won't jump to conclusions, just like I won't do so on Apple's previous missteps.

The onus is on every single user to take precautions online when necessary, and accept the risks where they cannot be mitigated. Complete online anonymity is a misnomer, and the sooner people accept this, the sooner they will take responsibility for their own safety.

 

[Oletros]

Of course they do. that's their business. Selling information to advertisers

Please, can you post just a link to back your claim? The cnet article doesn't say what you think it say

Or how did you think Google made money??

Selling AD SPACE to advertisers? If you think they sell information, you will find plenty of information about that practices, don't you?

that's why Apple will NEVER allow that a consumer will be tracked. It will only harm them in the end.

If users are not tracked, can you explain how iAds work?

 

[LeBart]

And how is he wrong? Can you elaborate your claims about Google selling personal information to advertisers? Or it is just a poor attempt of backpedaling from your FUD?

Please, can you post just a link to back your claim? The cnet article doesn't say what you think it say

Selling AD SPACE to advertisers? If you think they sell information, you will find plenty of information about that practices, don't you?

If users are not tracked, can you explain how iAds work?

Indeed, sorry for the Cnet article. But just look into the support information from googles website. They track even your mails to use this information for targeted advertising. So they sell this information through publicity, because it is very valuable for an advertiser.

And for Apple of course, they have your geography and age. But the advertisement is very generic.
The proof is on my iPad and iPhone.

 

[Oletros]

So they sell this information through publicity, because it is very valuable for an advertiser.

So no, they don't sell information and kdarling was right