[rahoulb]

I read somewhere (sorry can't remember where but it was quite recent) that Apple has defined "tracking" as "allowing third parties to monitor you over multiple sites and apps".

My that definition, Apple, as a first party, is not tracking you (and likewise, I can monitor you over my apps but not allow anyone else access to that data)

UPDATE: It was from AppStore Connect itself, when you fill out the privacy data form.

Also here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211970 "data from the app that is linked with your data collected from other companies’ apps, websites or offline properties, and used for ads or shared with a data broker."

[mtts]

This definition is not necessarily wrong. It’s easier for them to argue that they need telemetry to provide (and improve) their own services than it is to argue some third party advertising behemoth needs it. The former is perfectly acceptable, also according to the GDPR (first party advertising is also A-Ok according to he GDPR, btw).

[rahoulb]

Technically it's fine, but it sits badly with me.

Ultimately their business model - we don't need to log/track/whatever your behaviour to show you advertising because we make our money off hardware - was a big differentiator for them compared to all the other tech companies. If they remove that, then they're removing one of the main reasons I stay with them.

And that's really the point - at some time soon they will stop being the "iPhone company" and they'll become "just another company" and this is just them preparing for that day.

[taneq]

Sounds exactly like Google’s definition. “Private” means “just between you and Google.”