French Watchdog Investigating Apple's Personalized Advertising Practices After Allegations of Hypocrisy

[MacRumors]

Apple is to be investigated by France's data-protection watchdog following allegations that the company's personalized advertising feature violates European Union data protection and e-privacy rules (via Bloomberg).

The National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, known as "CNIL," is France's regulator that oversees privacy and data. CNIL is now examining antitrust allegations from France Digitale, a lobbying group representing startups and venture capital companies, about Apple's personalized advertising practices.

Apple displays personalized ads in the App Store, Apple News, and the Stocks app based on collected user data, but does not request consent before doing so.

Four French advertising lobbies have highlighted that Apple's changes to App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14, which requests user permission to be tracked across apps and websites for advertising purposes, do not extend to Apple itself. Apple can still deliver personalized advertising via a default setting, the lobbies have said, thereby holding itself to a different standard.

France Digitale alleges in its complaint that users are "insufficiently informed" about the use and processing of their personal data by Apple. Apple has now responded to the claim, calling the allegations "patently false," and said that "privacy is built into the ads we sell on our platform with no tracking."

The investigation may result in requests for Apple to make adjustments to its personalized advertising systems, or even an in-depth probe with sanctions. EU General Data Protection Regulation law allows data regulators to levy fines of as much as four percent of a company's annual sales for breaches.

A ruling is expected as soon as March 17, and Bloomberg claims that the result could have "implications" for Apple's personalized advertising in a future iOS 14 update.

Article Link: French Watchdog Investigating Apple's Personalized Advertising Practices After Allegations of Hypocrisy

 

[I7guy]

So this is about....money?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Everyone’s after Apple’s money 😂

 

[Captain Trips]

You know, I don't doubt that some investigations / accusations have merit - no one (individual or organization of individuals) is perfect.

But recently it seems like "pile on Apple" time.

 

[RalfTheDog]

France says that Apple is tracking users on their own apps. Apple says they are not. I wonder what evidence the French government has. Are they willing to publicly post it?

 

[contacos]

Apple Ads allow you to target people based on device, language, gender, age and location but as far as I know, this only really works on users who have opted in to sharing their analytic data and it’s not linked to a specific customer ID either

 

[jdclifford]

"Allegations of Hypocrisy"? Is that a crime in France? Sacre Bleu! Does it really matter whether Apple runs personalized or generic ads in its apps?

 

[CarpalMac]

You know, I don't doubt that some investigations / accusations have merit - no one (individual or organization of individuals) is perfect.

But recently it seems like "pile on Apple" time.

This is an Apple forum, so is always likely to feel that way. Google are getting slapped about a bit too, so it's not a vacuum.

 

[Captain Trips]

This is an Apple forum, so is always likely to feel that way. Google are getting slapped about a bit too, so it's not a vacuum.

Oh I know, but I also see stories like this outside of MacRumors. Just a general observation.

 

[theheadguy]

EU General Data Protection Regulation law allows data regulators to levy fines of as much as four percent of a company's annual sales for breaches.[/url]

4% of French sales or the company's annual sales? Small detail to include, but makes a big difference......

 

[Kabeyun]

I’m jumping into this thread to state that I’m staying the heck away from it.

 

[justperry]

So this is about....money?

Everyone’s after Apple’s money ?

Me...shakes head.
Why is it that as soon as a European country or an EU country or the EU investigates we always get these same old..OLD comments, stop it, please, it's getting tiresome.
These investigations are for reasons mentioned in the article, there's rule of law here, if you don't abide by those laws the EU/Europe/a European country investigates and could fine companies if those are not abiding by the law.

 

[I7guy]

Me...shakes head.
Why is it that as soon as a European country or an EU country or the EU investigates we always get these same old..OLD comments, stop it, please, it's getting tiresome.
These investigations are for reasons mentioned in the article, there's rule of law here, if you don't abide by those laws the EU/Europe/a European country investigates and could fine companies if those are not abiding by the law.

Because the people/group complaining are not consumers but some advertising coalition? Could that be why it's about money?

 

[Moonjumper]

4% of French sales or the company's annual sales? Small detail to include, but makes a big difference......

It is 4% of turnover for the whole world. That is "up to" for the most serious breaches. It is a lot, but the EU takes privacy seriously.

 

[SnarkyBear]

It seems like a simple thing for Apple to label its apps with the same tracking data info that it requires of all other companies, in the same style.. As a consumer, I wouldn't mind knowing what information is being tracked by the Stocks app, or the Music app. That Apple Doesn't give this information is a little concerning.

 

[az431]

It seems like a simple thing for Apple to label its apps with the same tracking data info that it requires of all other companies, in the same style.. As a consumer, I wouldn't mind knowing what information is being tracked by the Stocks app, or the Music app. That Apple Doesn't give this information is a little concerning.

Well, first, if you had bothered to actually look at the App Store listings for Apple's apps, you would have found that Apple does in fact "label its apps with the same tracking data info that it requires of all other companies, in the same style."

Second, if you had bothered to read the article (see a trend here?) you would know that the issue is about Apple requiring developers to obtain permission before tracking, not about labeling apps with tracking info.

 

[az431]

Me...shakes head.
Why is it that as soon as a European country or an EU country or the EU investigates we always get these same old..OLD comments, stop it, please, it's getting tiresome.
These investigations are for reasons mentioned in the article, there's rule of law here, if you don't abide by those laws the EU/Europe/a European country investigates and could fine companies if those are not abiding by the law.

When investigations are routinely conducted in the absence of credible evidence of wrongdoing, one possible motivation is money. The fact that some law is peripherally related to the subject matter doesn't somehow transform it into a legitimate investigation.

 

[az431]

France says that Apple is tracking users on their own apps. Apple says they are not. I wonder what evidence the French government has. Are they willing to publicly post it?

Zero.

Advertising companies collect and use data from third-party apps for the purpose of tracking users to serve personalized ads without users of those apps knowing who, what, or why data is being collected.

For that reason, Apple now requires developers to obtain permission before collecting data when it is used for tracking by third-parties. The same exact rule applies to Apple, however, Apple does not collect data for tracking by third-parties, so there will never be a permission prompt.

This doesn't only apply to Apple. If Google wanted to use the data in its own Gmail app to serve personalized ads without the prompt, it could do that. The problem is it also makes that data available to third parties (advertisers), which makes it fall within the requirement. Google can't do that because its entire business model revolves around making that data available to advertisers. Same with FaceBook.

 

[Wildkraut]

Ohh nice nice, +1, Like!

Keep going, I just hope these Lobbyists don’t win somehow ... so many lawsuits, at least one will hit em for sure, but probably more than one...

Is about time to end this digital corp tyranny.

 

[I7guy]

Ohh nice nice, +1, Like!

Keep going, I just hope these Lobbyists don’t win somehow ... so many lawsuits, at least one will hit em for sure, but probably more than one...

Is about time to end this digital corp tyranny.

I hope these greedy advertising lobbyists don’t win also.

 

[ani4ani]

France says that Apple is tracking users on their own apps. Apple says they are not. I wonder what evidence the French government has. Are they willing to publicly post it?

Actually Apple don't say they are not; they have always tracked the App store, Apple Music and the Apple news..."to make the experience better" I thnk they track games also?

 

[Wildkraut]

I hope these greedy advertising lobbyists don’t win also.

I dislike them all...
Apple, Facebook, Google & Co. they all need a few face punches.
Somehow Microsoft became the better guy, unbelievable...

 

[Apple_Robert]

In my opinion, Apple should allow users to opt out of Apple ads. Otherwise, I think it is hypocritical of Apple.

 

[bobbie424242]

Apple's under attack again ! ALERT !

"Apple should leave France !!!"
"Buuuuuuuuuut, it's Apple OS and device, they can do what they want !!!"

 

[brucewayne]

Zero.

Advertising companies collect and use data from third-party apps for the purpose of tracking users to serve personalized ads without users of those apps knowing who, what, or why data is being collected.

For that reason, Apple now requires developers to obtain permission before collecting data when it is used for tracking by third-parties. The same exact rule applies to Apple, however, Apple does not collect data for tracking by third-parties, so there will never be a permission prompt.

This doesn't only apply to Apple. If Google wanted to use the data in its own Gmail app to serve personalized ads without the prompt, it could do that. The problem is it also makes that data available to third parties (advertisers), which makes it fall within the requirement. Google can't do that because its entire business model revolves around making that data available to advertisers. Same with FaceBook.

What you posted is correct and also strengthens France's and Facebook's case. Apple effectively does not need third party data - they can build a complete picture of your life at the source without resorting to it.

The workaround for the third parties is to pay Apple, Facebook and Google to do the data analysis for them. Apple (and Google) have a distinct advantage in that they effectively control the first two 'parties' with the OS and all the stock default apps that everyone uses everyday.

From the consumer end, both ways are super invasive. If Apple is using data from the OS or stock apps to generate an internal profile to use for iAd sales, they should put themselves under the same restriction of requesting permission to do so when an app like Safari is launched.

This all needs to be solved now. In 20 years when we all have a neural link type device jacked into our brains, every thought we have will be open to non-stop advertising.