Apple investigation urged over "harmful" data tracking built into iPhone

[iMore.com]

Four Democrat lawmakers have urged the FTC to investigate both Apple and Google over claims they are using unfair practices in the collection and sale of personal data.

Full story from the iMore Blog...

 

[Just_Me_D]

The lawmakers are correct in regard to “confusing phone settings”. It blows my mind for Apple to have a “personalized ads” setting, but not an overall ads setting. Disabling the personalized ads do not disable non-personalized ads.

 

[Up_And_Away]

>>> While Apple limited IDFA tracking with App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14, the lawmakers note that prior to this Apple enabled the tracking by default, burying the option beneath "confusing phone settings" if they wanted to switch it off.<<<

Generally I’m not a fan of politicians trying to make big regulations of hi tech. They’re ignorant of how tech works and generally motivated by one tech company’s contributions over another (hence why you see all tech companies of even modest size with expensive DC teams and spending). But the point above is one I’ll never quite understand why Apple waited as long as they did, and won’t be sad at all if they get a proverbial smack to the back of the head. Apple was making comparative micro peanuts off of user data. What data they recorded was done mostly anonymized, yet they allowed Facebook, as one of MANY examples, to informationally first degree assault its user base. Really?
One argument is Apple was trying to avoid ADmageddon, trying to arrange a soft landing for Silicon Valley. Far too many tech companies’ revenue relied on vacuuming up user personal data. So how’d that plan work out Apple? A giant booming sound of Facebook crash, among numerous others, with a frothing hate of Apple amongst them (and all of them calling “their” state and federal representatives). Again Great part of a great plan. So Ultimately us Apple users were asked to take one for team Facebook/team Silicon Valley. Another part of the great plan!

I’ve got IP14 PM, air pods pro 2, and a stereo pair of the coming HomePod Pro (ir whatever they’ll call it) budgeted for this year. I’m obviously am a big fan of Apple. But Apple was wrong to drag their feet on ATT. Their users should have come first. iOS 12 should have had ATT default on, at latest iOS 13. It ultimately really wasn’t in force until 14.5. Apple hopefully reads this political report and thinks they were Stupid on this one! And hopefully remember that Apple is at the basest is its users that buy its hardware at a gold standard rate of retention. Never ask them again to take one for Team Facebook or Team(hi tech name here).

 

[FFR]

I think the politicians are confused, since apple implemented att in 2021, there really is nothing for the ftc to investigate at apple.

Google on the other hand .