Apple’s iOS 14 launch is so close you can almost touch it. It is a security and privacy … [+]
Apple’s new operating system update iOS 14 is so close that you can touch it – it’s likely to fall in a month. It comes with a bunch of cool features including App Clips and changes to Maps and Photos. But it is also very clear that iOS 14 will become a game changer for your security and privacy.
Apple’s iOS 13 saw Apple begin to define itself as the brand that cares about your security and privacy. “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone,” read the advertising messages in a clear sweep at rival Google.
But now iOS 14 takes security to the next level. Apple had previously put pressure on app developers who like to collect your data (look at you, Google and Facebook), but now this is being further refined.
iOS 14: A lose-lose for advertisers
In fact, advertisers are arm in arm over an iOS 14 feature that requires people to sign up to follow through their apps for advertising purposes. This new feature is of course great for your privacy: Before you are tracked, you will receive a notification that says: “x wants to be allowed to track you on apps and websites owned by other companies. Your data will be used to personalize deliver ads to you. ”
Apple lets you choose between “Allow permission” or “Request app not to follow.”
Another big change in iOS 14 is the fact that app developers need to be more transparent about the data they collect, hopefully giving you more clarity about the information apps sweeping in the background. This will also give you more information to decide if an app is not for you before downloading it, and the ability to better manage its access rights.
And iOS 14 also tells you when an app is reading your iPhone clipboard. Apple’s iOS 14 has already released apps like TikTok, LinkedIn, and Reddit for spying on the clipboard.
The new features of iOS 14 are a win for users
Another important feature for your security and privacy, and one that I am very excited about, is a new indicator light in the status bar that shows when an app is recording you with your microphone or camera. This already happens on your MacBook, so it’s pretty cool to land it on iPhones as well.
Apple’s iOS 14 could be a loss for many app developers who rely on users to track. But the new security and privacy features in iOS 14 will be a boon for users, who gain even more control over data and security.
It will also be a profit for Apple, which does not make money from advertising such as rivals Google and Facebook, and has its own ecosystem of hardware, software and services, allowing its famous ‘wall garden’ to continue to operate.
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