> Neither Apple nor Google have any interest in making tracking opt-in or working to make this into a standard.
Apple has taken steps to make it harder to track, both in iOS apps and in the browser.
It's Google whose revenue depends entirely on surveillance advertising.
The problem is that the technical methods surveillance ad networks use within the browser to track us are features that are useful for many other things.
Trying to redefine this as a technical problem, that can be solved purely by getting the browser makers to change how browsers work, rather than a sociopolitical problem, will fail. Sure, there are more things that Google—and probably Apple—could be doing to protect us, but they can't completely stop the tracking.
The way to stop the tracking is to make laws banning targeted advertising.
Apple engages in “privacy washing” - they take steps in the name of privacy when it disadvantages their competitors. At the same time, Apple has no problem collecting say Spotlight and Safari search terms … or “features” from Photos etc.
I agree that ads as a monetisation channel were a mistake. But beyond that, privacy is a human right and should be applied without exception.
Is there any actual evidence that Apple is collecting this information and either using it for tracking purposes, or selling it to others who do? As opposed to processing it in aggregate to improve their services?
If there is, I'll be the first to say they shouldn't be doing that, and I would definitely prefer them not to be collecting it in the first place, but there are different kinds and purposes of data collection.
I don’t think they’re selling it (at least that) but it’s spotlight and the browser … exactly where one tends to type sensitive things. It’s unsettling to know everything I typed becomes a dataset to circulate all divisions within a big corp for years to come, for data analysis, unit tests and who knows what else.
Apple has taken steps to make it harder to track, both in iOS apps and in the browser.
It's Google whose revenue depends entirely on surveillance advertising.
The problem is that the technical methods surveillance ad networks use within the browser to track us are features that are useful for many other things.
Trying to redefine this as a technical problem, that can be solved purely by getting the browser makers to change how browsers work, rather than a sociopolitical problem, will fail. Sure, there are more things that Google—and probably Apple—could be doing to protect us, but they can't completely stop the tracking.
The way to stop the tracking is to make laws banning targeted advertising.