iOS 8 Makes It Harder For Marketers To Track You Using Public Wifi Networks | TechTree.com

iOS 8 Makes It Harder For Marketers To Track You Using Public Wifi Networks

While the move may not be solely targeted at promoting consumer privacy, it can be counted as a win for privacy freaks.

 

With iOS 8, Apple has enabled MAC address randomsiation, which makes it harder for public Wifi networks to track your comings and goings. Marketers usually use MAC addresses to build shopper profiles by logging return visits and linking them to in-store purchases, so Apple's move is an overall win for consumer privacy.

A MAC address is typically a constant unique identifier attached to your phone’s wireless network interface. However, with the update, while your iPhone is scanning for Wifi networks it assigns a “random, locally administered” MAC address. This stops networks and eventually marketers from tracking you.

This doesn't mean that Apple is deterring marketers from collecting consumer data, and in fact iOS 8 brings several changes that make it easier for prompting commercial activities on the iPhone. Instead, Apple is making it harder to carry out questionable marketing activities in favour of those that are done with the consent of the customer.

The move isn't wholly aimed at consumer privacy, but it does count as a win for privacy overall. With its own marketing activities Apple is making it a whole lot more transparent for users, and through moves like this is prompting others to follow suit.


TAGS: Mobile Phones, iOS 8, Apple, iPhone, WiFi, Privacy

 
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