author: Jan Kasprzak
iPhone Apps Will Ask If They Can Track You
Apple will soon introduce App Tracking Transparency on iPhones and iPads. Apps will ask users for permission to collect and use data.
On January 28, we celebrated Data Protection Day. On this occasion, a conference titled Computers, Privacy and Data Protection was held in Brussels, during which Apple's CEO Tim Cook spoke. He mentioned both the company's current activities and future steps to increase user privacy. Earlier, Apple announced plans to launch App Tracking Transparency.
The introduction of a new feature in iPhones and iPads was already talked about since last year. However, Apple executives decided to give the developers more time to prepare for the upcoming changes. Finally, App Tracking Transparency is expected to appear in early spring. Once the feature is implemented, users will be asked whether they consent to have their activity tracked in apps and on websites. Moreover, developers will have to inform about the reasons for which particular data is collected and how it is used.
It is worth mentioning that we already have access to detailed privacy settings on iPhones and iPads, but not everyone knows about it. With the spring update, the options will be clearer and more user-friendly even for the layman. If a developer violates the new guidelines, he or she may even risk having the app removed from the App Store.
Apple's privacy policy has been criticized by Facebook. According to Mark Zuckerberg's team it will be a blow aimed at small companies that want to reach as many customers as possible. Soon we will see how the new option will work in practice.
Apple pays special attention to security. Since December, App Store users can check how apps use data. Everyone should get acquainted with this information, especially people who use popular communicators on a daily basis.
The iOS 14 has also introduced a very useful detail. A green dot in the upper right corner of the screen informs us that the application uses the camera of the smartphone. The orange color means that it uses the microphone. Apple is gradually increasing the privacy of users by offering more and more new features. That's why it's a good idea to keep downloading updates and keep up with the latest news.
The update adding App Tracking Transparency will arrive on devices based on iOS 14, iPadOS14 and tvOS 14.