Apple appears to have begun tracking user activity on the App Store, suggesting that the company has strayed significantly from its ideals of "privacy (opens in a new tab) is a human right."
Two researchers under the pseudonym Mysk discovered that iOS sends Apple a detailed log of how users interact with the App Store, including where they type while interacting with the store. The information is transmitted to the company in real time through a JSON file, it was specified.
This newfound tracking feature could be related to Apple recently introducing new ad placements to the mobile app repository, some say, while others suggest Apple has been tracking user behavior in this way since the launch of Apple. iOS 14.6 in May 2021.
New ad placements
Apple has yet to comment on the matter, but some researchers have noted that these findings appear to be related to the introduction of new ad positions on the App Store.
At the end of October 2022, the company sent an email to iOS developers about the new announcements related to the apps that were released on the main Today tab of the marketplace, as well as the "You might also like" section on the app. bottom. app lists
9to5Mac also reminds that developers now have access to certain statistics about the performance of their ads, this data is sent even when the option Personalized ads is disabled.
Apple got off to a relatively rocky start on its new ad placements, with recent reports claiming that unethical or irrelevant content (e.g. gambling or dating apps) was making its way to these new placements, sparking outrage in the community. usually.
Apple responded by temporarily suspending ads for these types of ads, but whether or not that will change in the future is unknown. According to media reports, Apple will introduce even more announcements in the future.
TechRadar Pro has contacted Apple for comment.
Via: 9to5Mac (Opens in a new tab)