Apple vs Facebook: Clash of the Titans with Jag Sharma - Episode 4

Apple and Facebook are two of the largest behemoths in the tech space, influencing every facet of software development and hardware design alike, and with iOS 14.5 the two are at war for the internet…

Disconnected Ep4 NEW EPISODE.png — As the ripple effects of Apple’s changes to privacy begin to emerge for us as users, small business owners, and the giant, influential players in the technology space, it’s time to break down this battle.

What can and cannot now be tracked, who has the moral high ground, and is our data really safer now than it was before? Discover these answers, and so much more, in this episode of the Disconnected podcast.

This episode of Disconnected covers:

How IDFA numbers help track your activity and serve you tailored ads
Apps building up location data through access to your camera roll
Key stances from Apple and Facebook on their iOS 14.5 update
Pros and cons to small businesses of Facebook’s ad targeting
Apple’s walled garden, and how they keep you in their ecosystem
The deeper prize to be won in this battle for the internet

Episode Highlights:

“You might have heard of the battle between Apple & Facebook that has been raging for much of this year. They say it’s a battle over privacy, but it’s actually the first battle in a war for the future of the internet, as well as the next generation of computing.” - 0:35 - Jag Sharma

“For years, each iPhone has had a secret string of numbers inside it which is unique to that device, called the IDFA - Identifier For Advertisers. It's basically your very own unique ad tracking number.” - 3:40 - Jag Sharma

“I have over 29k photos on my camera roll, so any app with access to my camera roll can probably build an incredibly accurate pattern of my location history. So these IDFA numbers are great for social networks and apps keen to understand more about what you’re doing on your phone, and potentially as great for businesses that want to hit you with hyper targeted messaging.” - 7:50 - Jag Sharma

“We all know this, but sometimes we forget that when something is for free, then we are the product for sale.” - 13:35 - Jag Sharma

“A husband and wife team have taken their bottled sauces and marinades across the United States, and can now be found in thousands of retailers across the country. They themselves say that they couldn't have done it without Facebook advertising, and that Facebook levels the playing field.” - 17:30 - Jag Sharma

“Let me welcome you to Apple’s walled garden, where the company’s hardware, software, and services make the combined experience, which makes the walls so high that it’s incredibly difficult to leave. They say if you own two or more Apple devices, then you almost certainly live in Apple’s walled garden.” - 22:25 - Jag Sharma

“As your experience in the garden grows, the walls grow higher, making it even more difficult to leave. But is it so bad? If the experiences you have and the life it enables you lead become easier and more convenient, then what’s the issue?” - 27:05 - Jag Sharma

“Apple of late has been positioning itself as an arbiter of what’s morally right to do with our data, in an industry that has lost its way and betrayed its customers. Of course Apple is different, they sell hardware, right? Well, as we know from the walled garden, it’s the software and services that keep us coming back to the hardware, and Apple-owned software is not so different to any other hardware when it comes to collecting data about you.” - 31:20 - Jag Sharma

“One thing that Apple doesn't shout about is that it was in fact they themselves who created and developed the IDFA in the first place to actually help advertisers track iPhone users. So the recent move is to partly undo what they themselves introduced to the world.” - 32:50 - Jag Sharma

“The issue here really isn't about Apple vs Facebook; It's about the nature of the internet as a whole. For decades now we have been able to enjoy countless apps and websites for free without subscription fees because these companies have been able to profit off of our data. This isn’t a battle over privacy, this is a battle over the power and influence to shape the next stage of the internet.” - 36:50 - Jag Sharma

Links & references:

Jag Sharma:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma

https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

iOS 14.5 & onwards from Apple

https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2021/04/ios-14-5-offers-unlock-iphone-with-apple-watch-diverse-siri-voices-and-more/

App Tracking Transparency (ATT) & other iOS 14.5 updates

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apptrackingtransparency

https://www.theverge.com/22403523/ios-14-5-tracking-consent-app-transparency-how-to

https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-facebook-clash-over-ads-small-businesses-fear-theyll-be-impacted-11618009627

https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/apple-vs-facebook-why-ios-145-started-a-big-tech-fight/1C9C84F2-0F68-45B5-8A4E-ADC6D71EA4E2

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/