Roger Fingas
Ad agencies are reportedly worried about a change to iOS 12.2 that will allow Safari users to block webpages wanting access to motion sensor data.
Webpages will have to ask users to turn the access on, according to a Digiday report citing two Apple staff members. The change appears to be in response to a Wired report last year which noted that thousands of sites were able to track motion data without permission.
iOS 12.2 is still in beta, and will also include features like HomeKit TV control and Apple News Magazines support.
The ad industry's worry is that people will not only be less likely to try augmented- or virtual-reality ads, but that businesses may spend less on them in the first place given how relatively new AR and VR glasses are.
Motion data typically isn't of much use to advertisers. Conceivably, though, it could be used to monitor user behavior or physical attributes.
Apple itself has been intensifying its focus on AR in the past two years, releasing ARKit for developers and designing iPhone cameras to better handle the technology. It's meanwhile believed to be developing its own AR glasses running a custom operating system. The product could potentially ship next year, though Apple is known to push off launches if it feels technology isn't ready.
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Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
15 Comments
Nothing wrong with some external entity having to ask me for access to my device. If the AR experience is compelling enough I’ll give it to them.
Boo hoo cry me a fucking river, ad agencies complaining Apple is making it more difficult for them to perform their wholesale harvest of user data without our consent.
Apple, keep it up! These bastards deserve NOTHING for their criminal acts!
Nice Mouth
I wonder when Apple will get to my request of giving us the ability to stop obnoxious auto play of videos in Safari...
The request is quite common but Apple ignores them, I suspect because Google bought them off.
The option is there for MacOS + Safari, and Microsoft Edge + iOS, but not for iOS + Safari.
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I turn off Location Services all together, and only enable it occasionally (maps, for Apple Pay credit card verification).
I just assumed it was being abused by someone...