96% of users are not enabling in-app tracking in iOS 14.5

[Joe White]

Not surprising Early analysis suggests that following the release of Apple iOS 14.5 on April 26, the vast majority of users are keeping in-app tracking disabled. A mere 4 percent of users are allowing apps to track their activity across other companies’ apps and websites. Because honestly, if given the choice, who would say yes?

Apple’s move to bolster user privacy by forcing apps to request to track users’ data has been at the center of a dispute between the iPhone-maker and Facebook. The social network has been critical of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency changes in iOS 14, going as far as publishing newspaper ads speaking out against the move.

Facebook is even said to be preparing to go to court to protect its interests, meaning Apple could have another high profile legal battle on its hands.

Analysis from app analytics firm Flurry indicates that Facebook has good reason to be concerned. According to early sampling of 2.5 million users in the U.S., 96 percent have opted to disable app tracking in iOS 14.5. This figure isn’t increasing, either, but has instead been relatively stable since launch week.

Worldwide data is slightly higher, with some 12 percent of users allowing app tracking on their devices.

Although it’s early days, the data indicates that the personalized ad market has a big challenge on its hands following the release of iOS 14.5.

You can disable in-app tracking altogether on your iPhone (or iPad) by launching the Settings app, choosing Privacy, selecting Tracking, and disabling "Allow Apps to Request to Track."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/89600-96-users-not-enabling-app-tracking-ios-145.html

 

[m4a4]

Well, yeah. I bet most users don't even notice the option and just keep the default.

 

[netman]

I dare Facebook Start charging for its membership and it would go bankrupted in no time...!

 

[SixTymes]

"HA HA"

 

[mcclurken]

The arguments FOR tracking ring just as hollow as the opponents of Right to Repair. I'm fairly sure Apple isn't entirely altruistic with this but it sure is fun to see Big Brother Facebook, and others, squirm and complain.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Tell ZUCK the answer is NO!!!

 

[brucek]

"Facebook is even said to be preparing to go to court"

LOL can't wait to see their complaint telling the court that Apple and/or its users simply must tell Facebook about every action in every app. Extra humor if they start in the EU.

 

[Nobina]

I love it when companies say "tracking lets us offer our services for free" yet if they weren't free nobody would pay for them and the company would die. They want you to think they are doing you a favour while it's the opposite.

 

[hahahanoobs]

What would the results be if it wasn't enabled by default...

Could be something that goes against them in court.

 

[kiwigraeme]

I don't use farcebook - but I'm sure lots of folks would pay for it . Apple users don't mind bleeding money - put a $2 a month charge on them if they opted out.

Yeah and here is the other laugh - Research shows most hoomans don't value their privacy too highly - put a charge of $2/month or free and tracked - most go for free - even if they scream about privacy.

I put up with this stuff in my business - someone complains to me for 10 minutes - a competitor gives this extra for free - I say they are way more expensive - I can give it to you for a nominal price - still a bit cheaper than competitor . Nah I don't really need it - man I've had some people whining like babies over nothing . My take is most of these people who whinge would do nothing for anyone . Their apex is when they buy 100 iphone 12xpros or whatever online for $120 pricing error - screaming about their rights ( my take is they would happily take the phones - even it it meant a small business went bankrupt and people lost their jobs ) - same way thieves don't care if they do $20000 damage to make $200.
My life advice is don't pander to them - give them a polite firm answer and cut them off with a thank you sorry I can not help . Life is too short .

 

[brucek]

This is getting off topic a little but privacy implications and resulting liability can't be judged solely or even best by what an individual customer will pay for it.

To put it in terms of another industry where it would be more obvious, no one would expect Lion Air to ask its customers if they'd like to pay $3 extra for a ticket on a plane with dual angle of attack input sensors. The point is the plane needs to not crash and if it does, the legal system is rightly going to hold the upstream vendors responsible, not the end user who didn't ask for a feature whose importance is not something they should be expected to understand.

Now of course privacy from tracked ads is seldom a life and death issue (although it could be in say the hands of the wrong stalker), but there can be more severe impacts than people realize and may never even know about. The victim may also not be the individual making the privacy choice but say their employer (ie at one point a foreign power could pretty easily buy a list of anyone who worked at the CIA from a location db vendor) or their connections. If an employer is allowed to not hire you because you once visited a gay bar or it thinks you may have a health issue, you may never know why you didn't get that response.

Anyway all this is way beyond what this one article is talking about, and its going to take decades for our laws to fully grok all the implications of what big data can do, but "ask the user if they want to pay for it" is probably not the right final bottom line for all cases.

 

[PEnnn]

"Facebook is even said to be preparing to go to court to protect its interests, "

Those bozos think they have a god-given right to peoples' data?? I hope Apple takes them to the cleaners enough times to give Zucky an atomic wedgie!!

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Yeah and here is the other laugh - Research shows most hoomans don't value their privacy too highly - put a charge of $2/month or free and tracked - most go for free - even if they scream about privacy.

Yet only 4% of users allow cross app tracking. If given the same question on telemetry and usage data how many would say yes?

 

[Watzupken]

There is nothing surprising about the results to be honest. I am pretty sure when asked if you are fine to share "additional information" during some software installation/ OS setup, most will opt out of it. In general, if there is a way to disable sharing PI, logical people will do that.

 

[Luay]

That's very audacious of Facebook, to act like it's a given that they can and should monitor our data. I think Facebook needs a paradigm shift. If the lawsuit actually goes through, I'll seriously consider deleting my Facebook account.

 

[Squuiid]

Who are these 4% ?!?

 

[Ludak021]

How do they have this information, down to a percentage, if people opted out of tracking? Oh right, they are tracking them.

 

[Angga B]

It is merely a competition. Apple wants sole authority on tracking users on its platform. Soon they will launch their own social media and/or search engine.

Remember my name when that happen.

 

[ZedRM]

As at odds as I am with this, Apple users and I share a sentiment: Go screw yourself Facebook!

 

[quadibloc]

I dare Facebook Start charging for its membership and it would go bankrupted in no time...!

Ah, but it only has to charge Apple users for membership in Facebook, not everyone else. So that would only take a little dent out of its profits.
And giving away their services without being paid for them by advertisements would just bankrupt them faster anyways.

 

[PEnnn]

It is merely a competition. Apple wants sole authority on tracking users on its platform. Soon they will launch their own social media and/or search engine.

Remember my name when that happen.

So, you're saying you'd rather have Facebook and countless other cretins and apps share your date because you hate Apple??

Very smart thinking!!

PS: I doubt anyone will remember such a memorable name like yours!!

 

[Mr Majestyk]

F@ckerberg is a the biggest pr!ck in the entire tech world, which is full of over-privileged pr!cks. Clown should be banned from running anything at all.

 

[m3tavision]

There is a law, that doesn't allow Companies in The United States to sell a product for free....

Why don't they use that to close down all these Fakebooks and Twitters, until they are able to put a price on their product...!

I would be awesome of Facebook charged $100 per account... or $20/month, etc.. (and they had no access to your personal Data and just competed as a platform.

 

[m3tavision]

I dare Facebook Start charging for its membership and it would go bankrupted in no time...!

No, it would be forced to put an actual price on it's service and become an actual Company... instead of trafficking in Personal information.

I have NEVER joined Facebook, Twitter, etc, because they are NOT a payed Service. They are free, if I allow them to make Billions off my information. I am not for sale, but I am willing to pay for a good service...

Facebook = fakebook... (ergo: unverified users = fake service, that doesn't protect it's user base, but exploits them.

 

[Angga B]

So, you're saying you'd rather have Facebook and countless other cretins and apps share your date because you hate Apple??

Very smart thinking!!

PS: I doubt anyone will remember such a memorable name like yours!!

I never said I prefer one over the other and I strongly suggest everyone to do the same and consider all of this brouhaha only as they are flexing their muscles against each other. Not in a million year any of them would ever care about your well being. You, for all the tech giants consider is only a profile. A consumer profile.