Apple Says Recent Changes Improve User Privacy, but Some US Lawmakers See Them as an Effort to Edge Out Rivals

Apple has made privacy protection a central part of its brand. But critics increasingly warned that the iPhone maker could use privacy under the guise of anti-competitive behavior. The latest flare-up after Apple made changes to its new mobile operating system are that it has been advertised as an improvement in privacy, but also to allow the company to use the device's location-tracking features in other app makers. Gives an edge on

In his first comment in the case, the top Democrat in charge of an anti-Semitism investigation into the jugglers of Silicon Valley cited the change, as his committee would explore several factors as part of an antitrust investigation.

"I am concerned about the use of secrecy as armor for anti-competitive conduct," said David Cicilline of Rep. Island, who serves as the chairman of the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee. "There is an increasing risk that without a strong privacy law in the United States, platforms will exploit their role as de facto private regulators by keeping a thumbs up in their own favor."

Historically, app creators can ask users for permission to track their location even when they are not using the app. This was helpful for services that track whether a user has parked their car or where they have lost a device on the phone. But in the new update, app creators can no longer ask for that functionality when an app is first installed - a potentially devastating blow such as Tile, the maker of Bluetooth trackers that help people find lost items.

In contrast, Apple tracks the location of iPhone users all the time - and users can't opt ​​out until they delve deeper into Apple's labyrinth menu.

App makers complained about the change in a letter in August that Apple previously reported by Information, a technology news site.

Apple spokesman Trudy Müller said the company is working with developers who are concerned about the new location-service policy.

"We created the App Store with two goals in mind: It's a safe and reliable place for customers." We constantly work with developers and help to protect user privacy. We take their feedback while providing the best experience to devise developers. "

The changes are facing criticism from both US regulators and legalists, who have opened up possibilities in potentially anti-competitive behavior. Both the Justice Department and the House Judiciary Committee are investigating whether Apple and other tech giants have misused their power. Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Has called on Apple to compete against other apps in its store.

Last week, Maken Dellerheim, who led antitrust enforcement for the Justice Department, said in a speech that privacy in the United States could become a major factor in antitrust regulation. And some lawmakers, including Sicily, are focusing on potential abuses under the guise of protecting user privacy, but it has benefited tech giants.

Facebook debated a decision in 2012 to prevent some competitors from collecting valuable user data, according to newly leaked documents. It decided to let the public know that it was making changes to protect user privacy by referring to the strategy as a "switcheroo". And Google has cited secrecy for canceling external software developers' ability to interact with its Gmail service, drawing criticism from developers.

But Sicilyen's concerns are particularly relevant to Apple, which has made privacy a central part of its products and marketing efforts. Earlier this month, Apple launched a new website with its privacy credentials, highlighting its decision to avoid data collection in Apple Maps, Apple Music, Safari and other homegrown apps. Apple has been critical of Google and Facebook for its data-collection practices and says it works better.

At the same time, Apple is undergoing a metamorphosis, from a company that sells electronics that offer services running on those devices. The decline in iPhone sales has led to a change in this part, a change that makes data an important part of Apple's own business. This is especially true for products such as Siri, which are subsidiaries of Apple's competitors Amazon and Alexa. Those services use artificial intelligence, which improves as data volume increases.

According to people familiar with the gathering, House MPs held a meeting with some of Apple's allies. These people said that one of the topics discussed was Apple's practice of making changes to the rules that govern its App Store ecosystem in the name of privacy, while also tying up the hands of competitors.

Much of Apple's power comes from the fact that it controls every aspect of the App Store, from hardware to built-in computer code. In contrast, Google's Android exists on hundreds of different hardware devices made by companies other than Google. Unlike Apple's iOS, the software can be changed and customized for different purposes.

Apple was previously criticized for possible anti-Semitism behavior on its platform, with some app makers stating that the tech giant mimicked and repeated their ideas, putting some out of business. The judiciary committee requested information about that practice in a September letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

In June, Apple said it would make changes to how apps can request location data. In the past, apps may ask users to "always allow" that location by that app during their setup process. But Apple took that option away from developers. Now, users can only allow their location to be tracked while using the app. Apple said it is making changes for privacy reasons. Some developers misused location tracking, saying it was using data for advertising purposes, not the functionality of the app. But other apps require location tracking in the background to function properly.

Customers can still go into settings and turn on location tracking indefinitely, but this is a multistep process that most people will probably skip. Users can receive a notification from Apple after some time, asking them if they want to go to permanent location tracking.

When Apple customers always allow on-location tracking, Apple's new operating system periodically reminds them of how often their location has been used by the app creator and that they can use it Gives an option to close. But Apple does not warn customers about their own location tracking. By default, iPhone customers agree to 18 different location-tracking system services during the setup process, including Apple's own location-based advertising.

This gives Apple a huge advantage over competitors on the App Store. Apple may add new features using location tracking without additional permission from its customers. In iOS 13, Apple introduced "offline search," which helps Apple users find lost devices, even if they are not connected to the Internet in a type of networked Bluetooth crowdsourcing.

Apple did not independently inform its customers that their devices would be used for offline searches. This added it to the fine print of the existing "Find My" user agreement, which is entered by default when setting up their phones to all Apple customers.

Tile has long offered a service similar to Apple's new offline search feature. But unlike Apple, Tile will have to seek permission from users to get it to work. And now, due to changes made by Apple, Tile cannot always ask for permission for on-location tracking during the setup process.

Even if an Apple declares to allow the Find My app to track user locations, that user will still miss out on offline search and other tracking features. This is because Apple considers the app separate from the system services that users agree to when setting up their phone.

Apple has stated that it keeps all the data of its services in an encrypted format that even Apple cannot access.

In August, as Apple was planning to impose new limits on location tracking for developers, a group of companies wrote a letter to Cook urging them to reconsider their location-tracking policy changes, including Apple Changes to K software, were also included. Prevent companies from tracking users, even if they allow.

According to the letter, a company called Life360, which provides families with a way to track each other for security reasons, said that the new changes being made by Apple halted its crash detection and emergency dispatch service, Which was reviewed. Washington Post.

The letter, which was signed by several companies, states that Apple's own applications include, but are not limited to, changes to the Find My Friends app, which have since been replaced by "Find My", which basically works out of the box. "While we are very grateful to Apple for developing the platform, we all trust us to serve our customers, how location data is used and how Apple's leadership in privacy is collected. There is a double standard, prevents investment in the iOS ecosystem and is anti-competitive, ”the letter reads.

The companies pointed to a conflict of interests inherent in the rollout of their new subscription services, which are an important part of the company's business as iPhone sales decline. "As Apple ExtrasTile was another co-signer for the letter. Tile declined to comment.

Since the change rolled out an app like Tile, enabling people to search through their lost little devices that they could place in their key chains or their purses, is at a distinct disadvantage. This is because most users stick to the default options in the software, rarely going into settings to change options. Before the latest release, they were able to allow app customers to agree on always-on-tracking, which is required for the app to work from the tile. That option has now been removed.

Meanwhile, several tech websites published rumors that Apple planned to launch its own version of the tile device, called TAG. The latest iOS features software yet-to-be-launched features that Apple says allow people to "keep track of their everyday objects," with a picture of a key, a suitcase, and a bicycle.

Apple is also purchasing Google ads for the search term "tile app" and other similar terms related to devices. When someone searches for a "tile app", the first ad takes them to the tile app on Apple's App Store.

Experts of online advertising say that search ads can provide valuable data about Apple's potential customers. Apple also purchases ads for other apps, including Netflix and the hiking app AllTrails.

Earlier this year, Apple stopped selling tile trackers in its retail stores. And when iOS 13 rolled out this fall, it added offline search, which works similar to Tile's app, a type of crowdsourcing to locate lost items. Tile, established in 2012, worked for years to add enough customers and build its network. Apple, with total control of its vast user base, was able to eclipse Tile's entire user base with a software update.