According to Apple's own statements, ""iOS 6 introduces the Advertising Identifier, a non-permanent, non-personal device identifier, that advertising networks will use to give you more control over advertisers' ability to use tracking methods. . . if you choose to limit ad tracking, advertising networks using the Advertising Identifier will no longer gather information to serve you targeted ads."
Apple's public statements in the matter seem to stand in contrast to what you wrote regarding tracking when Limited Tracking is selected. Apple is going to allow third party developers to give you ads, so some form of tracking is needed to do that.
You're correct that Apple's public statements differ a bit from what actually happens in the code.
Apple uses wording that tends to make people think that the switch turns off the IFA. It does not. It simply sets a flag that the advertiser is voluntarily supposed to honor by not sending targeted advertising.
Apple's Advertising Identifier API for apps states the following about the advertisingTrackingEnabled flag:
"Check the value of this [flag] before performing any advertising tracking. If the value is NO, use the advertising identifier only for the following purposes: frequency capping, conversion events, estimating the number of unique users, security and fraud detection, and debugging. "
Unfortunately, what it actually does, is force advertisers to come up with alternative, and perhaps less private, methods of targeting ads. That's one reason Apple is blocking HTTP based methods.
However, Apple isn't sharing customers names, email addresses, and location data like is shared on apps bought on the Google Play Store.
True, although checkout has nothing to do with ads. Moreover, iOS developers could get most of that info all on their own for years before Apple belatedly put a user warning on accessing Contact info. There are plenty of examples of iOS apps (especially with third party ad APIs) sending personal information such as the user's phone id, age, gender, zip code, whether jailbroken, etc.
I think it's good that light is cast upon these things... it forces everyone to pay more attention, and for Apple and Google to tighten things up.
Again, the most important takeaway is that neither Apple nor Google sell private info to third parties. However, the government does have access, which can be worrisome if abused. (Insert personal opinion of government here.) The question then is, which company keeps (not just scans and categorizes) more info on things we don't want the government to know?
I'm liking this trend away from "advertiser driven" cookies to the iAd system. An intermediary -- that looks out for it's "customer" -- in this case that is me, can prevent tracking across apps and consolidation of data. Advertisers only deserve to know very basic things like; did someone view this ad?, was it more than one person or the same person several times? and general demographic information.
Apple is smart to look towards the User Experience -- it's the best way they can compete with the other platforms. Windows got a black eye because of all the third parties that would bloat the system with shovelware and spyware -- a problem Microsoft created by squeezing all the profits out for the vendors.
In the end, as the market matures -- it won't be just the capabilities of mobile platforms that will keep customers loyal -- it's the loyalty of the platform to the customer. If Apple remembers that, they'll be the #1 phone of people who don't want to be tracked and terrorists cells.
from the image in the original post, where is the "Advertising -> Limit Ad tracking" setting located?
Its not obvious to me where this setting is.
Thank you
The key is the back button in the upper left corner. It's Settings » General » About.
I really wish you could use the Search feature to find a particular setting because it can be tricky at times to find what you're looking for in the Settings hierarchy. Even if it was just a search option within the Settings app itself that would show you a link to it and a rundown in small, grey text below the button so you can learn where it is yourself.
As that document points out, this doesn't stop ads. (And I would note that it's doubtful that it stops any data collection.) It just makes the ads less relevant to your interests.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by TBell
According to Apple's own statements, ""iOS 6 introduces the Advertising Identifier, a non-permanent, non-personal device identifier, that advertising networks will use to give you more control over advertisers' ability to use tracking methods. . . if you choose to limit ad tracking, advertising networks using the Advertising Identifier will no longer gather information to serve you targeted ads."
Apple's public statements in the matter seem to stand in contrast to what you wrote regarding tracking when Limited Tracking is selected. Apple is going to allow third party developers to give you ads, so some form of tracking is needed to do that.
You're correct that Apple's public statements differ a bit from what actually happens in the code.
Apple uses wording that tends to make people think that the switch turns off the IFA. It does not. It simply sets a flag that the advertiser is voluntarily supposed to honor by not sending targeted advertising.
Apple's Advertising Identifier API for apps states the following about the advertisingTrackingEnabled flag:
"Check the value of this [flag] before performing any advertising tracking. If the value is NO, use the advertising identifier only for the following purposes: frequency capping, conversion events, estimating the number of unique users, security and fraud detection, and debugging. "
Unfortunately, what it actually does, is force advertisers to come up with alternative, and perhaps less private, methods of targeting ads. That's one reason Apple is blocking HTTP based methods.
However, Apple isn't sharing customers names, email addresses, and location data like is shared on apps bought on the Google Play Store.
True, although checkout has nothing to do with ads. Moreover, iOS developers could get most of that info all on their own for years before Apple belatedly put a user warning on accessing Contact info. There are plenty of examples of iOS apps (especially with third party ad APIs) sending personal information such as the user's phone id, age, gender, zip code, whether jailbroken, etc.
I think it's good that light is cast upon these things... it forces everyone to pay more attention, and for Apple and Google to tighten things up.
Again, the most important takeaway is that neither Apple nor Google sell private info to third parties. However, the government does have access, which can be worrisome if abused. (Insert personal opinion of government here.) The question then is, which company keeps (not just scans and categorizes) more info on things we don't want the government to know?
Regards.
Apple is smart to look towards the User Experience -- it's the best way they can compete with the other platforms. Windows got a black eye because of all the third parties that would bloat the system with shovelware and spyware -- a problem Microsoft created by squeezing all the profits out for the vendors.
In the end, as the market matures -- it won't be just the capabilities of mobile platforms that will keep customers loyal -- it's the loyalty of the platform to the customer. If Apple remembers that, they'll be the #1 phone of people who don't want to be tracked and terrorists cells.from the image in the original post, where is the "Advertising -> Limit Ad tracking" setting located?
Its not obvious to me where this setting is.
Thank you
The key is the back button in the upper left corner. It's Settings » General » About.
I really wish you could use the Search feature to find a particular setting because it can be tricky at times to find what you're looking for in the Settings hierarchy. Even if it was just a search option within the Settings app itself that would show you a link to it and a rundown in small, grey text below the button so you can learn where it is yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratsg
from the image in the original post, where is the "Advertising -> Limit Ad tracking" setting located?
Its not obvious to me where this setting is.
Thank you
I have it.
settings->general->about->advertising
I figured it would be under privacy, or web settings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratsg
I figured it would be under privacy, or web settings.
Note that for pre-iOS 6 users, they have to go to an Apple link to turn off targeted iAds (and cannot turn off targeted third party ads).
See this Apple support document.
As that document points out, this doesn't stop ads. (And I would note that it's doubtful that it stops any data collection.) It just makes the ads less relevant to your interests.