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While I agree that the ad industry has taken it too far, I also disagree with your statement. Because users pay for free apps with their data, Apple isn't askin

While I agree that the ad industry has taken it too far, I also disagree with your statement. Because users pay for free apps with their data, Apple isn't asking them "do you want to pay $ 0.99 or accept ad tracking?" Apple asks "Do you want to use this app without ad tracking" of course the user will choose to disable ad tracking because there is no downside to them. But if all users do that it will be the end of a lot of free apps. Data and ads are just a form of indirect payment.

kohtatsu 6y ago
The downside is not having personalized ads. They will still see ads. I'm vehemently against invasive tracking for personalized ads, but more than happy to see clearly marked, clean context-based ads.
- t0mas88 6y ago
  True, but the price paid for personalized ads is about 4-5x higher than for non-personalized. So to keep their revenue free apps would either have to add a lot more ads or become less free.
- tinus_hn 6y ago
  Most people don’t really care for the stupid ‘I bought a bike so next month I will be bombarded with bike ads’ context based ads because that is both annoyingly useless and a constant reminder an invisible spy is watching over their shoulder.
  - halostatue 6y ago
    Retargeting is the worst.
  - SAI_Peregrinus 6y ago
    It seems like most of the personalized ad systems haven't figured out that if I just bought an item the last thing I need ads for is more of that item (or different brand/models of the same thing). If it kept track that you'd bought a bike and a headlight & rack but hadn't bought saddlebags, and then showed ads for saddlebags until you bought a set they'd be somewhat useful. Instead you just get ads for more bikes and headlights & racks like you're some sort of deranged bike collector.
- blaser-waffle 6y ago
  I will gladly take random, or geo-located ads over a system that listens to me and then makes creepy, preternatural recommendations based on something I just said. Hell, most of the context based ads were terrible. "Oh you just ordered a $THING? How about we spam you with recommendations for things you don't need since you already ordered $THING." Or how youtube now thinks I'm an arch-conservative because I listed to 5 minutes of a Jordan Peterson video.
  - kohtatsu 6y ago
    I meant context-based as in based on where the ad is displayed, not based on the user. Maybe "content-based" is a better term.
Doctor_Fegg 6y ago
> Apple isn't asking them "do you want to pay $ 0.99 or accept ad tracking?" It was Apple who popularised the "pay $0.99 to get content on your mobile" business model, and thousands of websites have a banner that appears at the top inviting you to do just that.
- t0mas88 6y ago
  Jup, and I suspect part of Apple's policy isn't written by an altruistic "let's make privacy better" motive but more by the fact that they move some of the mobile app revenue from ads to app store and they get 30% of that app store revenue.
SllX 6y ago
Apple isn’t banning apps from the App Store for serving ads or collecting data; they’re telling users upfront about an identifier that Apple included in the operating system, giving them the option to allow apps to collect that identifier or not allow, with OS-level support if they choose to allow. This might make data collection and retargeting less effective on iOS, but it doesn’t stop collection or ads outright. I stand by my statement, if one pop-up is enough to kill an industry, then it isn’t a productive industry.

kohtatsu 6y ago

The downside is not having personalized ads. They will still see ads. I'm vehemently against invasive tracking for personalized ads, but more than happy to see clearly marked, clean context-based ads.

t0mas88 6y ago
True, but the price paid for personalized ads is about 4-5x higher than for non-personalized. So to keep their revenue free apps would either have to add a lot more ads or become less free.
tinus_hn 6y ago
Most people don’t really care for the stupid ‘I bought a bike so next month I will be bombarded with bike ads’ context based ads because that is both annoyingly useless and a constant reminder an invisible spy is watching over their shoulder.
- halostatue 6y ago
  Retargeting is the worst.
- SAI_Peregrinus 6y ago
  It seems like most of the personalized ad systems haven't figured out that if I just bought an item the last thing I need ads for is more of that item (or different brand/models of the same thing). If it kept track that you'd bought a bike and a headlight & rack but hadn't bought saddlebags, and then showed ads for saddlebags until you bought a set they'd be somewhat useful. Instead you just get ads for more bikes and headlights & racks like you're some sort of deranged bike collector.
blaser-waffle 6y ago
I will gladly take random, or geo-located ads over a system that listens to me and then makes creepy, preternatural recommendations based on something I just said. Hell, most of the context based ads were terrible. "Oh you just ordered a $THING? How about we spam you with recommendations for things you don't need since you already ordered $THING." Or how youtube now thinks I'm an arch-conservative because I listed to 5 minutes of a Jordan Peterson video.
- kohtatsu 6y ago
  I meant context-based as in based on where the ad is displayed, not based on the user. Maybe "content-based" is a better term.

Doctor_Fegg 6y ago

> Apple isn't asking them "do you want to pay $ 0.99 or accept ad tracking?" It was Apple who popularised the "pay $0.99 to get content on your mobile" business model, and thousands of websites have a banner that appears at the top inviting you to do just that.

t0mas88 6y ago
Jup, and I suspect part of Apple's policy isn't written by an altruistic "let's make privacy better" motive but more by the fact that they move some of the mobile app revenue from ads to app store and they get 30% of that app store revenue.

SllX 6y ago

Apple isn’t banning apps from the App Store for serving ads or collecting data; they’re telling users upfront about an identifier that Apple included in the operating system, giving them the option to allow apps to collect that identifier or not allow, with OS-level support if they choose to allow. This might make data collection and retargeting less effective on iOS, but it doesn’t stop collection or ads outright. I stand by my statement, if one pop-up is enough to kill an industry, then it isn’t a productive industry.