Apple on Wednesday dropped a new ad, but not to promote the iPhone 13. It’s about privacy. The one-minute 34-second commercial shows the journey of Ellie who goes to a record shop and discovers a data auction where her personal information is being sold. The ad highlights the different ways in which apps on one’s phone gather and share personal data. The ad may seem a bit exaggerated but the idea is to build the narrative that the iPhone offers a way to stop the tracking, something a smartphone running on Google’s Android operating system perhaps doesn’t do so well. Apple’s advertising has always delivered a core ‘message’ that connects with consumers. From the time of Steve Jobs, Apple figured out what aspects of technology make consumers frustrated and the ads reflect that through ‘simple’ messaging.

The new ad, seen above, does not forcefully try to feed the features or the camera that make the iPhone 13 Pro so unique. It’s all about “privacy” and how users should start caring about their data.

Under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, Apple has been vocal about privacy and it wants users to believe what its competitors do with their data. Apple has differentiated itself with its unique approach to consumer information through software features baked in iOS. This has been in sharp contrast to others such as Google or Facebook and its array of apps, both of whom are dependent on advertising and collecting personal data.

Most significantly, Apple’s recent App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which was originally introduced in iOS 14.5 and built further in iOS 15, requires developers to request permission before they are able to track users across apps and websites. Because of the changes Apple made to its iOS, Facebook parent Meta announced earlier this year that Cupertino’s move will cost the social network upwards of $10 billion. In recent months, Apple has gone aggressive on privacy and data protection by bringing its Mail Privacy protection feature to the Mail app. This limits the amount of data senders collect from a user when one opens their promotional emails or even newsletters.

To be specific, the feature will give users the option to hide their IP address, so it can’t be linked to other online activity or used to determine their location. Apple also announced that paid subscribers to iCloud Plus will get a slew of new privacy features, including Private Relay, which keeps their browsing data private.

Source:     The Indian Express