Privacy and surveillance have been a hot topic in this class as we discuss locational privacy as well as the Right to be Forgotten. With cell phones becoming so closely interwoven into our daily lives, one wonders if it is a gift or a curse that we have access to such technology. While the concern of privacy and the potential breach of our personal data is alarming, companies continue release new technology on devices we use on a daily basis that tracks our actions without our knowledge. An example of this technology exists in Apple’s iOS 8, and their upgraded advertising platform iAd.
Recently my boss texted me and asked if she should “limit ad tracking” on her iPhone. Confused as to what she was talking about, I had her send me a screenshot of what she was seeing. Sure enough, there was a setting under “Privacy” on the iPhone that allows you to limit ad tracking, although it defaults to “No” on every phone, without users knowing that it exists.
Whether or not this capability is new, it is frightening that it may have existed for years without being brought up by anyone. I do not consider myself to be the most technology savvy person, but I have had an iPhone, iPad and Macbook for the last few years - without realizing the extent to which iAd operates.
To quote Apple, this ad tracking feature in iOS 8 is intended, “to give you the best advertising experience, iAd provides ads based on your interests.” (Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads from iAd, 2015). And while that does not sound completely horrible, further research brings up some red flags.
Apple has struggled with its ad business, and this ad tracking feature in iAd is a way to remedy this situation. Apple's iAd advertising platform in iOS 8 has made it easier for ad agencies to target ads based on user in-app browsing behaviors. An example of iAd in use is when a visitor uses the iPhone app of their favorite retailer to add a pair of shoes to their shopping cart, but ultimately decide not to buy it. In this scenario, if the retailer uses iAd they can retarget the user with an ad for that exact pair of shoes through any app on their Apple devices. When the user clicks the advertisement, they will be directed back to their abandoned checkout page, with the shoes automatically waiting in their online shopping cart.
iAds exist in the form of banners, full-screen interstitials, and audio ads between songs on iTunes Radio. Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and now Apple are looking for ways to replace cookies with other personal identifiers for ad-related purposes, and iAd is Apple’s way around them.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Apple’s ad tracking feature exists on computers, iPhones, iPads, the iPod touch, and Apple TV. Location-based ads can be turned off on iPhones, iPads, and the iPod touch. Apple does allow users to turn this tracking off, as well as erase all previous information if they desire. But first the user has to find this feature to turn it off! (See here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202074)
Limiting ad tracking leads to two expected results. One, individuals see the same number of ads as before, but they are less relevant because they do not take interests into account. Two, individuals might see ads related to the content in an application or ads based on other non-personal information.
When my boss and I got into further into whether or not to limit ad tracking on her phone, I was initially okay with ad tracking. But now as I go back and investigate this feature, my decision starts to change. While I do share a lot of information via the internet, this small step is one in the right direction to finding ways to limit the personal information that goes out into the public sphere.
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Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads from iAd. (2015, February 4). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202074
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