Hello! I have been exploring articles on the subject of privacy concerns, data collection and in particular Apple’s soon-to-be-released App Tracking Transparency features. Apple’s new feature will require apps to get the explicit permission of users before tracking their data. I have attached several articles and a brochure to this post.
I was shocked to learn from Apple’s Day in the Life of Your Data brochure, that even a father and daughter’s trip to the park could be tracked so closely by companies around the world. What I find to be quite unsettling is that this personal information (interests, location, etc.) is passed onto data brokers and released to companies that have no direct connection with the father or daughter.
In a 2018 Sunday Times article, Maria Fasli tracks her digital footprint for a day. Life becomes in a certain sense more convenient with our compass cards tracking our route to work, our air fare providers sharing hotel suggestions and our supermarket loyalty cards leading to a better in-shop experience. But I think the problem lies not in users having a digital footprint but how a lot of the data is unknowingly collected and distributed without permission. The lack of transparency is the real problem here. There is hope that Apple’s new feature will allow regular users (like me) to control what social media companies and apps learn about us.
Several questions remain to be answered: how will this realistically affect the app or social media experience for users? One of its greatest critics, Facebook, has questioned Apple’s true motives for rolling out this new feature. And while Apple’s feature is a step in the right direction, it may not be sufficient to protect the privacy of app and social media users. Instead, is it time for privacy laws like the EU’s GDPR to be implemented in the US as Apple’s CEO Tim Cooke has suggested?
Articles referred to:
https://www.apple.com/privacy/docs/A_Day_in_the_Life_of_Your_Data.pdf
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/apple-ceo-slams-internet-giants-ahead-of-new-privacy-features-1.1555652
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/apple-ceo-lambastes-tech-rivals-ahead-of-privacy-update-1.5285694
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/static/connected-families/how-much-data-are-you-sharing-in-a-typical-day/
Vanessa, I did not know of this new app but it sounds very interesting, and seems like a viable solution to a problem that seemed near impossible to contend with.
That being said, it will be interesting to see the response. Apple Maps protects people’s data, yet is far less user friendly than google maps, which shares your data. It will be interesting to see if people choose to utilize the app and take responsibility for their privacy.