Apple Updates iTunes Store Terms to Allow Opt-Out of iAd Data Collection
Users looking to update their App Store applications for today's iOS 4 release have been greeted with a screen informing them of changes to the iTunes Store and conditions. While users are required to accept the changes before continuing, the summary of changes simply indicates that the company has made "material" changes to its privacy agreement.
iLounge dug into the changes and discovered that the updated terms relate to Apple's iAd service, which aims to deliver a high-quality, interactive mobile advertising experience. Some of iAd's appeal to advertisers is Apple's ability to serve ads with a high degree of relevance to customers due to the company's vast amount of information on each customer's purchase and download history, but this ability also raises certain privacy issues, and the updated privacy terms explain Apple's data collection and offers users a means to opt out of the collection.
"Apple and its partners use cookies and other technologies in mobile advertising services to control the number of times you see a given ad, deliver ads that relate to your interests, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns," the text says. "If you do not want to receive ads with this level of relevance on your mobile device, you can opt out by accessing the following link on your device: http://oo.apple.com. If you opt out, you will continue to receive the same number of mobile ads, but they may be less relevant because they will not be based on your interests. You may still see ads related to the contrent on a web page or in an application or based on other non-personal information. This opt-out applies only to Apple advertising services and does not affect interest-based advertising from other advertising networks."
As noted, users must visit the opt-out URL on each device they wish to exclude from the data collection, and those devices must be running iOS 4 in order to register the opt-out. The company has also posted a new support document outlining the interest-based ads and the opt-out process.
Application developers have already begun rolling out iAd-enabled applications with placeholders for the forthcoming interactive advertisement, but the service will not go live until July 1st.
Popular Stories
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public in the coming weeks, and the software update introduces the first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released. iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence Features Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far: A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...
The current Apple TV was released two years ago this month, so you may be wondering when the next model will be released. Below, we recap rumors about a next-generation Apple TV. In January 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new Apple TV was planned for release in the first half of 2024:Beyond the future smart displays and new speaker, Apple is working on revamping its TV box....
Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but we are still waiting for official confirmation that the company has similar plans this year. We're approaching the middle of October now, and if Apple plans to announce new Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far. As of writing this, it's been 220 days since Apple released a new...
