Data tracking is more popular than ever. Find out how Apple’s privacy features help users take control of their data.
Today is Data Privacy Day and Apple took the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary. Specifically, the company announced that its App Tracking Transparency feature will be launched “in early spring”.
But that is not all. The iPhone maker also released a new document called ” A Day in the Life of Your Data “, which illustrates “how companies track user data across websites and apps.”
“Privacy means peace of mind, it means security and it means that you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to your data,” said Craig Federighi of Apple. “Our goal is to create technology that keeps people’s information safe and secure. We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right and our teams work every day to integrate it into everything we do “.
Apple says the new document is designed to help users “better understand how third-party companies track their information on apps and websites.” At the same time, it also focuses on the ways the company works to make tracking more transparent and give users more control.
The company says that, on average, mobile apps include six trackers from third-party companies , with the sole purpose of collecting and tracking people and their personal information, fueling an industry worth $ 227 billion annually. “A Day inter Life of Your Data” aims to show what advertisers, data brokers, social media companies and other entities can learn about a father and daughter having a pleasant day at the park.
One example is the father and daughter taking a selfie at the park, editing the photo with a filter app, and sharing it on social media, a series of seemingly innocent actions that has nonetheless led to the collection and monitoring of data on multiple app:
At the playground, John and Emma take a selfie. They play with a photo filter app, deciding to add bunny ears to the photo. The filters app is able to access all the photos on the device and the attached metadata, rather than just the selfie. John posts the image on a social media app. The app links John’s current online activity to a collection of data collected by other apps, such as his demographic information and shopping habits, using an email address, phone number, or advertising identifier.
The document goes on to list various Apple privacy features that would have given father and daughter greater transparency and control over their data, including the choice to give the filters app access only to their selfies , rather than the entire photo library. .
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