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.
iOS 14's Upcoming Anti-Tracking Prompt Sparks Antitrust Complaint in France
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
So what app did you make that is threatened? Clearly you're a developer that has skin in the game, otherwise you wouldn't be so hard up on this.
On the other hand, we don't know that the French authorities are looking favorably on this ridiculous complaint.
If you’re afraid disclosing your business model will hurt your business, maybe you should rethink the business model...
When I was being massively tracked and received a lot of targeted ads, I’d o l’y ever get ads for products I’ve already looked at and either decided I didn’t want or couldn’t afford at the moment. I can’t remember a single time it made me discover something new.
With general ads, marketers need to work a little more and figure out the best placement depending on a website’s or an app’s assumed audience. I actually think that way you might capture more new customers who weren’t aware of the product.
Right now they pay more for targeted ads, but if that isn’t an option anymore, they’ll have to pay for regular ads just like it was before tracking became a thing.
This.
When I was being massively tracked and received a lot of targeted ads, I’d o l’y ever get ads for products I’ve already looked at and either decided I didn’t want or couldn’t afford at the moment. I can’t remember a single time it made me discover something new.
With general ads, marketers need to work a little more and figure out the best placement depending on a website’s or an app’s assumed audience. I actually think that way you might capture more new customers who weren’t aware of the product.
Right now they pay more for targeted ads, but if that isn’t an option anymore, they’ll have to pay for regular ads just like it was before tracking became a thing.
Thats the same BS argument so many make yet you don't live in the world of making apps so you just don't know.
I don't care how good the app is, if it can't make it TODAY as a paid only app it won't make it ever as a paid only app.
I mean the feature is already working. I opened Shake Shack the other day and got this-
I think what’s being delayed is the requirement to send this prompt to everyone. I appreciate Shake Shack did even though they didn’t have to.
"Allow Apps to Request to Track"
Number one, why is that capitalized like it's a title?
Number two, How much more convoluted can it be stated? What happens if you don't select it? Do they just track you and not ask about it, or do they not get to track you and just not ask about it? And the accompanying description below it doesn't really clarify things. For crying out loud.
There's an ever increasing number of settings that are non-informational. Like under Home Screen > Multitasking > Gestures. Gestures what? No description, no nothing. iOS: It's Just Getting Worse.
Number one, why is that capitalized like it's a title?
Number two, How much more convoluted can it be stated? What happens if you don't select it? Do they just track you and not ask about it, or do they not get to track you and just not ask about it? And the accompanying description below it doesn't really clarify things. For crying out loud.
There's an ever increasing number of settings that are non-informational. Like under Home Screen > Multitasking > Gestures. Gestures what? No description, no nothing. iOS: It's Just Getting Worse.
Not enough people care about privacy or even know to care to buy your app.
You don't live in reality of being a developer today so you will never understand. But I will tell you this, this feature will never make it in iOS 14 and there is a reason why.
So again, you advocate NOT asking users if they consent to having their data harvested? You advocate an obscure, 3 levels deep toggle (current solution) that doesn't really block anything as it is not required for an app to adhere to the choice.
The feature has actually been there since iOS 13. Forcing each app to ask for permission is what is being delayed.
The feature as it has been in iOS 13 will stay but forcing apps to ask for permission I predict will never come in iOS 14. One government like France will take a heavy look into it and it will never show up because of that.
It’s sour grapes and the solution is simple. Have a paid tier where your activities are not tracked but you are required to pay for it or continue using the free tier where you pay for it by allowing tracking. The user needs to be informed of the difference between the two tiers so they know they are paying in one form or another either way.
This is how it always should’ve been from the beginning but vendors knew if they laid it out like that they’d have fewer people using the platform so they sold it as “free” when it really wasn’t. You pay by sacrificing your privacy. It’s not free.
The issue is that if people know they are being tracked many will opt out and at the same time decide paying a monthly fee isn’t worth it because they are already paying too many monthly fees with all of the streaming services and other apps that used to cost a chunk of change up front but could be used for years before you had to upgrade that have now moved to a software as a service monthly fee model.
This is how it always should’ve been from the beginning but vendors knew if they laid it out like that they’d have fewer people using the platform so they sold it as “free” when it really wasn’t. You pay by sacrificing your privacy. It’s not free.
The issue is that if people know they are being tracked many will opt out and at the same time decide paying a monthly fee isn’t worth it because they are already paying too many monthly fees with all of the streaming services and other apps that used to cost a chunk of change up front but could be used for years before you had to upgrade that have now moved to a software as a service monthly fee model.
Last edited:
Leaving it the way it has been since iOS 13 is perfectly fine with me. A blanket toggle on off is fine.
The way Apple is asking in the app is the problem for me.
I could be wrong, but my understanding is the app is running some code fragment provided by the ad network operator and the ad network operator pays the app dev for doing that.
Then you have nothing to worry about with an opt-in model for free apps, if no one cares about their privacy they will all opt-in to enable the free apps functionality. Why don't you get this?
If the ability for the app to function is tied to "opt-in" and no one cares about their privacy then nothing will change other than the odd ball person like me has the option to opt-out and not be tracked and harvested. If I am a huge minority then no harm is done.
I like that Apple will let the users know every specific invasion of privacy that every app attempts. I think people should know how often facebook scrapes their clipboard and checks their GPS co-ordinates. People should know just how often instagram automatically snaps a picture with their camera and uploads it.
The developer of the app is not getting any of that information or the one collecting the information passing it on to the ad network 99.9% of the time.
The ad network is the one tracking you, so going to the ad networks themselves and getting them to change how they do business with your information is something that should be done also not just punishing some developer who is just trying to earn a living.
The only reason you support this is beause you know it has no teeth! You disagreed with my post #33 which highlighted that apps MAY CHOOSE TO ASK FOR PERMISSION, they are not required to nor are they forced to adhere to your choice. Why disagree with something that is FACT?
So again, you don't want users to really know what is happening to their privacy or data nor do you want them to be able to make an informed decision.
Except it does have teeth because it blocks the IDFA for everything.
I wish them good luck with this lawsuit given the fact that making a prompt that allows people to opt out of tracking cookies is already the law in France.
The only difference is they lose their ability to use dark patterns.
Get absolutely f***ed, you spying pieces of trash.
And yes, I'll pay for MR if I have to. No problem.
The only difference is they lose their ability to use dark patterns.
Get absolutely f***ed, you spying pieces of trash.
And yes, I'll pay for MR if I have to. No problem.
No one is saying you can't track your users. However, if you track your users and then share (sell) that data, you now fall into the opt-in category. The same stink was raised about the ability to disable tracking by third parties on web sites.
GRRR! READ THE TRACKING INFO!
"When you decline to give permission for the app to track you, the app is prevented from accessing your device's Advertsing Identifier (previously controlled throught the Limited Ad Tracking setting on your device). App developers are responsible for ensuring they comply with your choices.
It goes on to offer many loopholes which have no teeth!