Apple has seen off an initial attempt by some tech giants in China to navigate around its recently introduced privacy policies, the Financial Times reported. A group led by Baidu, Tencent, and TikTok parent ByteDance was working, seemingly with the backing of Beijing, on a new way of tracking users for advertisings known as CAID.
Apple Blocks Updates to Apps in China Circumventing Privacy Tools
CAID was designed to circumvent Apple’s official IDFA tool, which is was introduced in iOS 14.5 as part of the App Tracking Transparency. It is the ID that lets users who give permission via the ‘Ask App Not to Track” prompt to be tracked.
Despite the possibility of a backlash from Chinese authorities, Apple blocked updates to apps it spotted trying to introduce CAID. While the bigger names involved in the CAID project had not offered public comment at the time of this writing, others had indicated they believed it had actually been backed by Cupertino.
For its part, Apple said that “App Store terms and guidelines apply equally to all developers around the world.” It added that “apps that are found to disregard the user’s choice will be rejected.”
‘For its part, Apple said that “App Store terms and guidelines apply equally to all developers around the world.” It added that “apps that are found to disregard the user’s choice will be rejected.”’
Consistency.
If the Communist Party are truly concerned with privacy violation/surveillance ‘only’ for purposes of ‘security’ (cynics might call it, ‘keeping themselves from being overthrown’), and they have no ‘hidden hand’ behind these private companies, then they will not contravene Apple’s universal policy, which inhibits Chinese firms’ attempt to employ CAID. Doing otherwise will cost something the Party value, but have in short supply.
Credibility.
A valued board piece. Although one could dismiss this as simple consistency in policy application, this is a power move by Apple on the world stage. They took a potentially threatening piece off of the board, exposing that valued piece.
Chinese Communist Party, your move.