I don't like the "ASK TO NOT TRACK". Should be "DO NOT TRACK", period.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Facebook Says Apple's Upcoming Anti-Tracking Prompt is 'More About Profit Than Privacy' [Updated]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well, you misunderstand or misrepresent what they are doing. Apple made a decision who their customers are and who they make money from: Not the advertising companies, but their end users. And they decided that by protecting the rights of its end users, they make their end users happy, and therefore make their customers happy, and make more profit as a result. Making Facebook happy doesn't put money into Apple's pockets, but making me happy does.
People love to point fingers at Facebook and google but they never realize how different the web would be without them (and their ads). Paywalls everywhere. No free content at all. Sites like this (macrumors) wouldn’t exist of course.
I disagree! They are not restricting advertising on users they are requiring FB and others to disclose what they are doing to the consumer (tracking them). If the consumer is ok with that then they accept. Apple has the same disclosures on their apps.
they think very few will click track and they are right - but for a compromise, I don't know what other word Apple can use - Track, Follow, etc - I would click NO to all
Last edited:
Oh let me guess. Apple collects data on its users but doesn't track with that data. They just collect it for the fun of it. It's so fun to collect and aggregate data, but extract no real information from it. The only reason Apple or any company collects data is to track and extract info from that data. I'm sure Apple and Facebook are doing entirely different things with that data, but they are both still collecting data.
Yes, but in this case their gaining profit by implementing privacy and anti-tracking controls that customers want and are willing to buy into their ecosystem for. It hardly compares.
So then why would you use Facebook? Why do you use a free service and not expect them to make money off of you?
Yes, it is completely a choice. But how many people who use Facebook actually read the terms & conditions? I'd bet not everyone, I checked with my family and friends, and not a single one - bar me, has read them. So I agree with making it more clear to each and every user, just what is happening when they use a supposed free service.
Service not used, check.
Facebook is still a problem.
You questioned Apple's motives by comparison...and though it was answered from multiple vectors...
To quote MysteryMii215:
Yeah, apple is trying to get me to pay 2x the price for their products and services by trying to scared me about my precious privacy. I don't care if best buy knows I'm interested in buying some cheaper headphones.
That is my point. Apple is doing this for profit. Which is fine, they are not a charity. But people need to stop acting like Apple is doing anything for them or trying to help consumers. Apple sees another avenue to make more profit. They jumped at the chance. Facebook is saying hey everyone is using our service for free, we need to get paid. If everyone clicks no don't track me and Facebook's revenue goes way down what do you think the next logical step will be. Facebook will eventually have to start charging. I can't wait, can't freaking wait to see all the crying and wailing on here once Facebook starts charging money. Then we will start hearing the tired old argument, hey Facebook should be a human right and it should be free.
To all the trollers who have come out from under their bridges, as people have pointed out, please identify where Apple is tracking you—they state clearly that they don’t. They have also said that the policy applies to their apps as well so please up your game.
This post received one thumbs down.. can tell who the facebook shareholder is.
I subscribe to any web site that offers an ad-free option. I use Scroll, which partners with sites to remove ads and aggressive tracking in exchange for a slice of my subscription money (MacRumors is one of those sites). I will very happily pay not to see ads or tracking.
Still, it is a fallacy that ad platforms need to track you to serve relevant ads to you. A lie perpetuated by major ad platforms to pad their rates. If all ad tracking went away today, advertisers have an equally powerful targeting tool available to them already: context. If I am on a web site about cars, I am probably not looking to buy an iPhone case. If I'm on a web site or news article about the latest iPhone, the probability goes up. The page can feed metadata into the ad tech, and that can return ads relevant to the context. I know this works because I have worked on a web site where we targeted ads in this way, and it simply relied on the same metadata that helps search placement so it had to be done anyway.
Facebook only care about slurping up data. Their platform is **** for small businesses, who are having to pay increasingly higher ad rates to reach fewer people who are less likely to interact than before. Giving users the choice of which data are shared will hurt Facebook, but small businesses aren't getting much out of Facebook anyway.
I disagree. Apple has always put users rights over profit.
Disclosing you are collecting specific location data is not a "deal breaker". It is transparency for apple users.
Sounds like there are lots on here that make money off this method and know if the consumer knew they could opt out on location data they would.
Lack of transparency hurts users and only means profits for companies.
Of course is Apple about profit. But also about privacy.
And now that Apple is restricting Facebook's ability to get even more profit from your data, Facebook says it is about Apple making profit. Which, in this case, is not true. Apple does not make more profit by giving YOU the OPTION to not be followed by Facebook.
The thing that drives me nuts about social media is definitely the creepy resale of tracking/profiling data. That said, use of the platform is "free." I firmly believe that if you use a product you have to pay for it and FB just found an alternative business model where we pay with our privacy. Creepy as heck and borderline unethical but OK, it's "free."
I DO think Apple is doing the right thing too. People should be allowed to make a conscious decision about this. And there is nothing saying that FB can't tweak their business model to accommodate it. Yes, it may hurt their business but I think that the power should be in the hands of customers. They can hardliners and say if you don't accept the tracking you can't use FB and it'll prolly work because they're so big.
Personally, I don't use FB anymore because they are creepy. But the options should be out there.
I DO think Apple is doing the right thing too. People should be allowed to make a conscious decision about this. And there is nothing saying that FB can't tweak their business model to accommodate it. Yes, it may hurt their business but I think that the power should be in the hands of customers. They can hardliners and say if you don't accept the tracking you can't use FB and it'll prolly work because they're so big.
Personally, I don't use FB anymore because they are creepy. But the options should be out there.
Shh don't say that. You can't go about pointing about facts on this site. We will not stand for it. Apple is the only good company in the world. You are not allowed to point out what other companies do to add value to the world. /s