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Apple CEO Explains How a Few Billion Dollars From Google Changes His Views on the Company's 'Unsettling' User Data Mining Activities (arstechnica.com)
In an interview with Axios on HBO Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the decision to use Google as the default search engine on Apple products. This decision, which enables Apple to make up to $9 billion a year, has baffled some, considering Google's business model of making money off of users' data -- something Apple has spoken out against numerous times. From a report: "I think their search engine is the best," Cook said in the interview. He followed up by diving into privacy features Apple has implemented in its Safari browser. "Look at what we've done with the controls we've built in," Cook stated. "We have private Web browsing. We have an intelligent tracker prevention. What we've tried to do is come up with ways to help our users through their course of the day. It's not a perfect thing. I'd be the very first person to say that. But it goes a long way to helping." Google pays Apple to have its search engine be the primary one on iPhones and other Apple devices.
>> Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the decision to use Google...has baffled some, considering Google's business model of making money off of users' data -- something Apple has spoken out against numerous times
Now $1B would change my views on many things too, but in this case, Cook was just being a smart businessman: lying to Apple customers (those gullible little marks) to get them to sign themselves and their friends up to his service, while at the same time telling Google that they would need to bring a truckload of money into a deal to get Apple to violate its lofty, lofty "principles". Well, the deal is done now that Google is bringing in the billions: in service to his shareholders, let's hope Cook gets a nice Christmas bonus.
As a user of Safari, I like the privacy features that Apple has put it. As a web developer, will they start fixing the compatibility issues in CSS and HTML (issues not present in Chrome or Firefox), otherwise I may confuse it for IE?
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Apple added Duck Duck Go as one of the built-in search engines. I've been using it for over a year instead of Google. It works well enough and they don't set any tracking cookies. I'd recommend everyone switch to that.
Honestly. every other smartphone on the market uses Google too. Apple is just always held to some high standard that is impossible to meet.
- Vincit qui patitur.
Looking back on the articles listed it never mentions a company by name, just the practices they use. However, if you think apple doesn't collect your data you'd be wrong. They may not sell it to a 3rd party, but they allow targeted ads in some of their products, using things such as your likes and possible your demographics as well. They never really cared about your privacy, they just want you to think they care about your privacy.
Well, he said it right off there. Google search is the best and his customers are used to it. If Apple switched it over to DuckDuckGo it'd be a Apple Maps launch size of complaining and dissatisfaction.
Now the $3billion doesn't hurt of course. But DuckDuckGo isn't good enough for a switchover at this point. I use DuckDuckGo as my main search engine but need Google as a back up often enough. This is something that needs to be fixed - Apple probably needs to make DuckDuckGo or whatever better and then cast off Google and their billions, but at this point DuckDuckGo's results aren't good enough. JMHO....