If you’re an iPhone user your next device update may give your personal data security a big boost — in one area of privacy at least.
Apple announced last week that iOS 14.5 — the latest version of its iPhone operating system — comes with a tracking kill-switch built in. This privacy feature is called App Tracking Transparency, and it requires that apps explicitly request permission from users to collect device and user data.
On its developer site Apple has provided a breakdown of the new hoops and barriers it is setting out for those who like to play in what has long been called the “walled garden” of the App Store. This includes requiring that developers provide info about their privacy practices, what data they use and whether that can be used to track users. All of this will be marked in the app description that users see from the App Store, though there are limited use cases that are not considered tracking — such as when it is used to detect or prevent fraud.
Not knowing will not be an excuse. If the app uses an SDK from another company, for example, the app developers are still “responsible for all code included in their apps”. Forthcoming iPads and Apple TV OS updates will require the same too. A pop-up message on the device will also ask users to grant permission, or choose the option to “ask the app not to track”. According to the BBC, surveys suggest that up to 80% of users faced with this will say no.
The little nugget at the heart of this is the identifier for advertisers (IDFA) that is unique to each device. Companies use this to target specific ads to specific users. This is also how cookies and tracking pixels track your activity online so they can recommend items to you and collect data on how effective this is.
The tracking and data collection here is not just about pushing goods, so one of the companies that will be most affected by this reclaiming of a little privacy is Facebook, which uses the info it has on you to sell advertising.
If you make your way to www.facebook.com/off_facebook_activity/ in your account you can see what sources of “off-Facebook activity” the social network has for you. For example, mine says Spotify, Reddit and Takealot are sharing my activity info — all of which prompts a big “yikes” from me, and enthusiastic pushing of the Clear History link provided.
Now, I admit I really should know better, but when we live online there is a sort of “permissions creep” that can easily happen. I’ve been active on Facebook since 2008 or so, and though I like to think I know more about good privacy practice than back then, there is a trail of data that is largely invisible to us. Out of sight, out of mind. Additionally, there is a big gulf between knowing and doing, especially when you’re in the middle of an insomnia-inspired Candy Crush marathon and blearily hit the “use Facebook to sign in” option so at least one damn thing can be simple in your life ... but I, dangerously, digress.
It is good reputation management and on-brand of Apple to take these steps, among other moves, to claw back some space for its users, but some believe it is also about taking an intentional swing at Facebook. In a blog post, Facebook went so far as to call it “more about profit than privacy”, accusing Apple of outright hypocrisy. Facebook has positioned itself as “speaking up for small businesses” who “are struggling to stay afloat on the free internet that we all rely on more than ever”. It goes on to say that this policy won’t reduce the ads users see, just their relevance.
Apple is not the only tech heavyweight seen to be pushing Facebook out into the cold. Google, which owns almost 60% of the general internet advertising business, has also recently announced changes. Specifically, these will see the search group move away from third-party cookies and towards something called federated learning of cohorts (FLoC). This they see as a way to corral users into groups based on habits, and they’re calling it a privacy-friendly tracking option — though not all industry commentators are convinced it is so benign.
Whenever and wherever the dust settles on this kerfuffle, the world of digital advertising is changing, and online advertisers will have to adjust. App developers and privacy advocates are keeping a close eye on developments, but on the consumer side of things there seems to be more buzz about the ability to use Face ID with a mask on, and a profound under-appreciation about the sheer magnitude of personal data about them sloshing around for common consumption.
• Thompson Davy, a freelance journalist, is an impactAFRICA fellow and WanaData member.