[actuator]

This is not true. As I have submitted on HN earlier, Apple is using the purchases data to customise ads. https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT208477

You can make a case that the ad targeting is just on App Store, News and Stocks but that is just for now, Apple used to have an ad platform iAd which wasn't that successful, so it was discontinued. Once they milk other revenue streams and are more of a monopolistic power in other web properties(like Maps), I am quite sure ads will make a return.

Bottom line is, at this point Apple is also building user profiles like Facebook.

Edit:

It seems like Ben has deleted his tweet. I will just update the link to Apple's support page and quote the relevant section.

"""We also use information about your account, purchases, and downloads in the stores to offer advertising to ensure that ads on the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks, where available, are relevant to you."""

[Gaelan]

That tweet's been deleted, so it's hard to judge it exactly, but my recollection is that someone else pointed out "payment data" here is just App Store, iTunes, etc purchases. "Apple targets ads on the app store based on previous app store purchases" is, IMO, much less of a privacy invasion than "Facebook targets ads based on your friends list, messages, browsing history, real-life purchases, and other things I can't think of off the top of my head".

Apple's profile of me, I imagine, is much less detailed than Facebook's, despite Apple's capability to build just as much of one (after all, they own iMessage and my iCloud contacts) if they wanted to.

[actuator]

I updated the link above.

I am not sure how much information Apple gets but if with an in app purchase of say a eBook, they get to know which eBook it was, it is creepy.

Apple really doesn't have to do any ad personalisation but still they are doing it as it is just more money for them. My fear is, eventually when they monetize more of their web properties, the data collection will increase.

While they might not allow others to sniff your data, they are in too much of a dominant position to not use it for themselves like the purchases data.

For me, this fight will always be, who will watch the watchmen? Regulatory hammer seems to be the only long term solution I can think of. As Apple's integration of hardware + software + software gateway + services, is just too scary and eventually will give them too much power.

[spacedcowboy]

If you've chosen to buy something from Apple, it's hard for Apple not to know that you've bought it.

I don't think that's an issue.

What is an issue is the cross-correlation of any given company's data on you with lots of other "big data" companies, building a profile, not just of what you've bought from X, but from Y, Z, hell throw in the whole alphabet, why not ?

Then there's the machine learning that says when X,Y,Z are all bought within a small time window, that means alpha is likely, and decisions can be made on that basis.

It's the spread of the network that is the problem, IMHO, not the knowledge per se. My butcher knows what cuts of meat I like, there's no need for my cobbler to be aware...

[actuator]

As far as I read the support doc, it seems like if say I purchase an ebook from a third party App, should Apple have this data because they mandated the forced use of their payment system. (I don't like user profiles based on purchase data from their store itself as well)

In this example, Apple is not just the store but also your payment processor(a forced one at that). So, they know about which cuts of meat you like and will use that info to target ads when your cobbler pays for some advertisement.

It is not like FB is selling your data, why would they when they earn the most by keeping it to themselves. Quite sure, Apple will do the same thing like they have already started.

[naresh_xai]

But apple does not allow for that. So in that sense, they do not allow businesses for targeted advertisement. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Their processes and org structure is not built for that either with siloed teams. So much that quite often some teams will not know what kind of data is being collected by other teams even.

[swiley]

Apple doesn't allow the third party store to do that but they can do whatever they want, it's their system (and arguably their phone as well.)

[willis936]

>Apple's profile of me, I imagine, is much less detailed than Facebook's

Apple certainly is not shy about collecting biometrics. They have the most complete set of biometrics of the FAANGs. I'm not certain what their motive is.

[M4v3R]

Source? They specifically say they do not collect any of your biometrics. Touch ID and Face ID data is stored in an encrypted form on the Secure Enclave chip and never leaves your device.

[willis936]

https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/apple-health-studies/en-...

[Google234]

Wait, what is your problem with this? Who the hell would enroll in a scientific study to share their data and not expect their data to be used in that study?

[willis936]

I didn't say I had a problem with it, just that they have access to more biometrics than any other FAANG and I don't know what their motive is.

[hesarenu]

Its also mentioned "We are obligated to provide some non-personal information to strategic partners that work with Apple to provide our products and services, help Apple market to customers, and sell ads on Apple’s behalf to display in the App Store and Apple News and Stocks."

Why a privacy focused company is into Advertising?

[sizzle]

We should be able to opt out of similar tracking with stock Apple apps if Apple is not disclosing they are tracking for advertising purposes that is a huge issue that needs to be exposed.

[nemothekid]

I can't seem to open the Tweet you provided, nor could I find the relevant tweet on the timeline. Can you fix your post?

[actuator]

Thanks for the heads up, just added Apple's support page link.

[egocentric]

If you could please elaborate, what did the tweet say and who exactly was it by?