Apple to reportedly bolster iAd user targeting with phone numbers and emails

Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2015
According to a report on Thursday, Apple's iAd division is looking to reinvigorate sales, and will soon allow third-party agencies to provide demographic targeting information to advertisers, including matching of phone numbers, emails and other data.



Although Apple did not officially take part in this year's Mobile World Congress conference, the company's iAd division threw a partner party at the W hotel in Barcelona, Spain, reports The Information.

Apple executives outlined a new initiative that will enable third-party ad providers to help advertisers target specific consumers "by matching phone number, emails and other data," the publication reports. The system is similar to Facebook's ad targeting practices, which matches data from ad providers with anonymized user information and other helpful metrics.

By providing data matching capabilities, Apple would address a major complaint from ad agencies clamoring for more open targeting policies. Currently, iAd serves up user data relating to geography, purchase history, and media interests, but stops short of providing deeper analytics.

The publication noted some advertisers pay up to $10 for app install ads on iAd, double the price of Facebook's most expensive tier. With Apple's reach and consumer base, however, the price may be worth the investment.

The reported shift in policy comes as Apple makes moves to stimulate iAd sales. In November, for example, Apple flipped the switch on "programmatic" mobile advertising purchases, an automated process for buying and selling ads. The company also rolled iAd advertisements into the iTunes Radio streaming music service last year.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    Okay, I'm not sure this is in keeping with the "You are our customer not our product" ethos that Apple touts. Somebody please explain why this is no different from Facebook and Google's practices.
  • Reply 2 of 49
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Disturbing if true.

  • Reply 3 of 49
    Time to turn Apple into windows? This sellout to third party ads will open the door to the same kind of bad security and loss of privacy that made me leave Windows. It's not like Apple needs the money so I am at a loss to understand this one.
  • Reply 4 of 49
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    Quote:

    Currently, iAd serves up user data relating to geography, purchase history, and media interests...

    It does? How does this let Tim say his customers are not his product? Confused....

  • Reply 5 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Screw this!

     

    This had better not be true!

     

    There's a reason that I'm not on Facebook and there's a reason that I don't use any Google OS (Android).

     

    I can't imagine that Apple would be this foolish, especially given all of the comments recently made by Apple and Tim Cook about privacy and security.

  • Reply 6 of 49
    The title of this post is probably going to confuse some because it says "emails" and doesn't differentiate between "email addresses" and "email content".
  • Reply 7 of 49
    This is the reason I ditched Windows, now Apple will be just as bad. It's not like Apple needs the money. Selling out to 3rd party ads will make security and privacy worthless. Steve must be rolling over in his grave.
  • Reply 8 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tundraboy View Post



    Okay, I'm not sure this is in keeping with the "You are our customer not our product" ethos that Apple touts. Somebody please explain why this is no different from Facebook and Google's practices.

     

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    Disturbing if true.


     

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eightzero View Post

     

    It does? How does this let Tim say his customers are not his product? Confused....


     

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

    Screw this!

     

    This had better not be true!

     

    There's a reason that I'm not on Facebook and there's a reason that I don't use any Google OS (Android).

     

    I can't imagine that Apple would be this foolish, especially given all of the comments recently made by Apple and Tim Cook about privacy and security.




    Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. ;)

  • Reply 9 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

    Screw this!

     

    This had better not be true!

     

    There's a reason that I'm not on Facebook and there's a reason that I don't use any Google OS (Android).

     

    I can't imagine that Apple would be this foolish, especially given all of the comments recently made by Apple and Tim Cook about privacy and security.


     

     

    Agreed.

     

    Surely there must be some mistake. If Cook has really done this, then Apple have jumped the shark.

  • Reply 10 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

    Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. ;)


     

    My iPad is right next to me, so I just did a double check, and yep, I already have it activated.

  • Reply 11 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Apple doesn't publicly discuss it but was already using a fair amount of "your" information to market "you" to advertisers. Taking the next step of logging email keywords and other common data harvesting efforts should not be a huge surprise if/when it happens. Mr Cook's last PR campaign in December, proclaiming Apple wasn't like Google or Facebook, preceded the [B]very[/B] quiet roll-out of a new iAd program where advertisers could bid for access to you, similar to programs offered by both Google and Facebook. . :\

    You won't see Apple mentioning this if it happens, tho if you carefully read their privacy policy it allows just about the same data collection and use-cases as Google does. You've given them permission.
  • Reply 12 of 49
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    WTF Tim. Disturbing and hypocritical if true. Boo.
  • Reply 13 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post

     

     

    My iPad is right next to me, so I just did a double check, and yep, I already have it activated.




    I think it's on by default.

  • Reply 14 of 49
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post



    Apple doesn't publicly discuss it but was already using a fair amount of "your" information to market "you" to advertisers. Taking the next step of logging email keywords and other common data harvesting efforts should not be a huge surprise if/when it happens. Mr Cook's last PR campaign in December, proclaiming Apple wasn't like Google or Facebook, preceded the very quiet roll-out of a new iAd program where advertisers could bid for access to you, similar to programs offered by both Google and Facebook. . image



    You won't see Apple mentioning this if it happens, tho if you carefully read their privacy policy it allows just about the same data collection and use-cases as Google does. You've given them permission.

     

    This would be Apple using the data they know about you to match against data given to them by third parties for targeted ad campaigns. The third parties already have your data and are asking Apple to target you with the ads. Apple isn't giving anyone the data, but they effectively get to pay Apple to use it to target you if they already have your data. As bad was this is, it is better them using these high-level identifiers rather than all of your content. Either way, I wish Apple would abandon iAd. The only reason I half support it is because Apple is providing a less creepy service for developers to use. There are others that have worse policies I'm sure.

  • Reply 15 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member







    Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. ;)
    It doesn't limit the data collection taking place AFAIK but supposedly will put limits on third party uses for targeted ads. I think it applies only to apps /developers and whether or not they're permitted to use your personal Advertising Identifier to single you out for personalized ads. You might read up on it as I could be mistaken.

    FWIW you can completely turn off ad tracking at Google too, but the data collection still takes place unless you totally opt out of Google services.
  • Reply 16 of 49
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post



    You won't see Apple mentioning this if it happens, tho if you carefully read their privacy policy it allows just about the same data collection and use-cases as Google does. You've given them permission.

    Fortunately I don't use any software that has iAd, but I wonder, if they are going to sell your data, what is stopping them from selling your AppleID data? According to your remark about their privacy policy, they could if they wanted to, even without iAd.

  • Reply 17 of 49
    disturbiadisturbia Posts: 563member

    I have absolutely NOOOOOOOOOOO problem with that!

    ... IF that's what it takes to destroy google! :smokey:

  • Reply 18 of 49
    carthusiacarthusia Posts: 583member
    Tim's got some 'splainin to do.
  • Reply 19 of 49
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

    Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. ;)


    This simply allows you to get targeted ads for items you may have searched for.

    So if you search for cars, you will get a lot more ads for car stuff.

    It limits the types of ads you get.

  • Reply 20 of 49
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     

     

     

     

     

     

     



    Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. ;)


    OMG finally a AI user who actually took the time to add something relevant and true, what a rarity

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