23 May 2021
Why don’t you mind your own business?
Headlines.
The shake-up of the ad tracking industry is here, and Apple is leading the way. Reportedly in the USA 94% of users are opting out of tracking, worldwide that figure drops marginally to 85%. To mark the occasion Apple has released a new 60 second ad as part of its’ ‘Privacy. That’s iPhone’ series with the appropriate lyrics “Can I get a taste of your ice cream?”. Watch it here.
Twitter admits to racial bias in its’ image cropping AI which focuses on lighter skin tones, prioritising images with white people. It says that the algorithm was trained on the human eye, however given this bias aims to remove the feature in coming months.
Dating apps are encouraging users to get vaccinated with badges and free premium content - and have revealed that users who are vaccinated receive 14% more matches. Apps taking part include Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and Badoo. Tinder has also introduced a ‘think twice’ feature urging users to think before sending what could be abusive content. It says, this feature has reduced inappropriate language by 10%.
Finally, a bit of fun this week - a new online quiz titled “Terms & Conditions Apply” that spoofs all the ways companies encourage you to share your data has gone viral. The 29 questions get progressively harder… can you pass the test? Take it here - the creators promise they won’t track you.
Sources:
BGR: Apple CEO Tim Cook wants you to watch this ad ahead of his Epic Games testimony Friday
Twitter blog: Sharing learnings about our image cropping algorithm
BBC: Tinder tweak urges people to think before sending abuse, Twitter find racial bias in image-cropping AI
The Verge: Dating apps are encouraging users to get vaccinated with the promise of more matches
FastCompany: Apple’s newest ad perfectly visualizes how App Tracking Transparency stops companies from stalking you, This hilarious game mimics all the insane ways companies trick you into giving up your data
Perspective.
The people have spoken… and they are opting out of tracking. How soon will it be before large companies attempt to renegotiate contracts based on the reaching of audiences? What is the true impact on small businesses on their audience reach? Whilst Apple presses ahead - now officially the Guardian of Privacy - let’s not believe everything we hear about this move being the death of all targeted advertising. Within the Google and Facebook ecosystem much tracking still takes place, and much is still known on an individual level when they are in a ‘recognised state’. One to wait and watch. Ps. Love the ad Apple
Oh Twitter - press about AI facial recognition and racial bias is nothing new. Google’s Gorilla scandal was in 2018 - 3 years ago - why are we still seeing this happen? Why is racial bias still slipping through the net? If the problem is its’ root in human eye behaviour, let’s take a look at your human eyes, and if they are truly representative - perhaps (whilst again acknowledging that large parts of society are systematically, ignorantly racist) we need to make your representative panel less so for a fair and just world. Everyone knows Apple Music shuffle isn’t truly random.
Reading about the charge of dating apps for the cause of vaccination I think again of my comment that the world would divide into vaccination ‘have’s’ and ‘have not’s’ - anything less than a declaration of full or partial vaccincation is a no, and the ‘vacc badge’ says much about a meeting of minds. For 14% more matches, would you bow to the pressure of vaccination? For reassurance this cannot be bad, for supporting personal choice, hmmm…. not sure. Staying on the dating theme, Tinder is detecting abuse in messages (good!)… but only asking the user if they wish to send it… Is it not really sure they are abusive? At what point does a question turn into an outright ban? Personally, I would like to see this soft stop turn into a ‘sorry, this message cannot be sent’ with a highlight on the text that causes concern for repeat offenders. Don’t let the trolls win under any circumstance.
Have you taken the quiz yet? How did you do? Data collection/tracking has finally hit the big time now it’s been spoofed into a fun game. A wise lesson for many companies on what not to do. Of course, I got them all right :)
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