When it comes to using an iPhone, there are several browsers to choose from, but the vast majority use either Safari or Chrome. It’s a competition that has become fiercer between Apple and Google, largely due to the so-called Digital Markets Act, imposed by the EU and other pressures also in the US. However, Apple has launched a campaign promoting the security and privacy of Safari. As for Chrome, Apple’s message is clear.
Google wants 50% of iPhone users on Chrome
Apple has always promoted security and privacy in the use of its products, with a particular focus on Safari and apps in the App Store. In fact, the advertising market itself, led by the company Meta, had a profound debate when the "Ask the app not to track" rule was introduced, applied by Apple to applications on its operating systems.
In this sense, Apple has now released a new, quite creative ad to "create" fear in those who use Google Chrome. While it doesn't outright tell people to stop using Chrome, it is a pretty blatant shot at Google's browser for the ton of tracking cookies it uses. Apple claims that Safari is "a truly private browser."
But what is the reason for this announcement now?
Currently, 30% of iPhone users use Chrome as their default browser, and Google wants to increase this to 50%according to a report from The Information. That would equate to another 300 million iOS devices, and in an age where keeping people loyal to apps is the most direct path to revenue, Apple doesn't want to lose that majority control over iPhone browser usage.
As such, the Cupertino company appears to have come up with a plan to exploit the two main problems with using concurrency:
- Chrome's hunger for tracking cookies: You've seen them all over the internet - those pop-ups asking if you accept third-party cookies. Once you dig into Chrome's privacy settings, you'll probably be surprised by the many thousands of websites that track your whereabouts on the internet. Worse still, they look set to continue to exist until 2025, according to the Google Privacy Sandbox Report.
- Incognito mode is not private: This is one of the few features other than Chrome where the Mountain View company has said it cares about privacy, but its actions are a bit different. For example, Google promises security in its Incognito Mode, but then had to admit that this privacy shield isn't all that private in a $5 billion class action lawsuit.
These are things that Safari has done away with from the start – including preventing cross-site tracking by default and hiding your IP address (as long as you have an iCloud+ account on the latter). That makes it fertile ground for Apple to hype up and raise concerns about its main competitors.
Basically, Apple is advertising one of its best features, the privacy of its users' data.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
