French Startup Lobby To File Privacy Complaint Against Apple

France Digitale will file a complaint against iPhone maker Apple with data privacy watchdog CNIL on Tuesday over alleged breaches of European Union rules, France's leading startup lobby said in a statement. From a report: In the seven-page complaint seen by Reuters, the lobby, which represents the bulk of France's digital entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, alleges Apple's latest operating software, iOS 14, does not comply with EU privacy requirements. France Digitale argues that while iPhone owners are asked whether they are ready to allow installed mobile apps to gather a key identifier used to define campaign ads and send targeted ads, default settings allow Apple to carry its own targeted ad campaigns without clearly asking iPhone users for their prior consent. Under EU data privacy rules, all organisations must ask visitors online if they agree to have some of their data collected via trackers or other tools.

Good

[AmiMoJo]

What matters here is that the rules are applied evenly and fairly to everyone, and Apple is no exception.

Everything must be opt-in, with informed and freely given consent (no coercion). Giving non-essential data over cannot be a requirement of using the service.

That is pathetic

[bazmail]

The advertising is industry using sock puppets to attack Apple for cracking down on privacy abusers.

Re: That is pathetic

[cantsleep]

Apple should expect to have to follow laws in countries they do business. Outside of that, shouldn't it be popular opinion to expect Apple to sleep in the same bed they made?

Re: That is pathetic

[SleepingEye]

Lmfao, you're pathetic in your understanding. Or are you giving a free pass to the lying "omg we respect privacy except when we invade it" fruit company?

Lazy reporting

[andymadigan]

"Under EU data privacy rules, all organisations must ask visitors online if they agree to have some of their data collected via trackers or other tools."

What lazy reporting. This is obviously wrong, since you only have to ask for data collection permission if you actually collect data. Apple doesn't.

The plaintiffs here are doing a bit of projection, and this has been a common claim by the advertising industry, that Apple must be treating them unfairly because Apple must be doing the same shitty things they

Re:

[larkost]

In truth, there is something to this lawsuit. Apple has an Advertising platform, one that they use to sell adds that appear in a few places, such as in the News app. At this point there does not seem to be a separate popup for getting your information for those apps (which are pre-installed), as opposed to the general one for activating iOS (I am sure it is in the legalese that you agree to there). Apple probably has a legally defensible position there, but I would want them to be better than that.