[nikitaga]

Then why do most of my non-tech relatives have an @icloud.com address that they never needed and never read?

Blame the user all you want, but their "choice" was guided by Apple designed UI and Apple provided defaults. Whatever it is, it's producing optimal outcomes for Apple and no one else.

[fnordsensei]

I have one too (which I've since swapped for an email I actually use). I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think it was the only option for a while (inherited from MobileMe, perhaps), or at least it wasn't clear that you could/should add another email.

Either way, Apple could definitely do something with regards to make it easier/more obvious to replace it with a useful email address, especially now as it becomes a federated identity provider.

[dev_tty01]

I can't answer that. However, if you go to appleid.apple.com to create a new AppleID, you must use an existing email address.

When I create a new user account on the mac, it asks the new user if they want to create an AppleID. The default is to use their existing email address. You must specifically select an option to get an iCloud account. If you purchase an Apple device, you again have the option of an iCloud account or using your existing email address for your AppleID. Apple is not using some deceptive UI to get you to create an iCloud email address.

However, I guess you still feel it is somehow evil that Apple does allow you to get a free email account where the provider does NOT read your email content and use it to target ads at you. Suboptimal for Apple from a pure profit perspective.

[nikitaga]

Whatever the UI is now, doesn't speak for what it used to be over the years. The cumulative effect matters.

There are tons of people with @icloud.com email addresses that they never use who will fall into the login / customer support traps described in the article.

But sure let's not even acknowledge those very real problems, deny Apple's role in this, and blame users. That will surely solve the issues.

[dev_tty01]

I think you are missing the point and are perhaps letting this app vendor create an impression of a large problem based on anecdotal evidence. Perhaps they are just whining because they don't want to lose all that data. I have no idea that that is the case, but we can't rule it out.

Tons of people falling into these alleged traps? Really? What is that based on?

Apple is saying they want their platform to support personal privacy. If an app on their platform offers third party sign-ons that are known to abuse personal privacy, that app must offer Apple's solution that respects personal privacy. Despite it being an imperfect solution, I personally am thrilled that I have that option and I'm happy with Apple taking a stand on one of the most important issues today and going forward.

Some occasional customer support issues vs. providing customers with a real solution to significant privacy issues. From a user perspective the value of having such a choice is high.

Nobody is blaming users. Frankly, I think users are smarter than we typically assume. The support situation is really pretty trivial. If you save the onboarding email sent to the anonymized email address, you've got all you need to interact with an app customer support. People will quickly learn this and get on board if they want the privacy benefit. Its just not a big deal.

Apple's role is about increasing privacy and respecting their user's right to privacy. I fully acknowledge that. Does this create some hassle for app vendors? Yes, but I don't care about that in relation to the greater gain.