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The best way to educate people on desperately boring subjects is through humor, or so Apple assumes in its new four-part Data Privacy video series starring Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed.
The video, released today as part of a multi-faceted effort to highlight Data Privacy Day (January 28), the week leading up to it, and all the data privacy tools iPhone users use or don’t use, highlights four key iPhone issues. data privacy features.
In the video “A Day in the Life of an Average Person’s Data,” Mohammed plays an exaggerated version of himself, someone who is overly concerned about his fame and notoriety, but who also becomes humble again and again. Little attention is usually paid to explaining tools such as Mail Privacy Protections, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Apple Tracking Transparency, and Wallet & Apple Pay.
The more serious guidance comes courtesy of a new in-person Today at Apple session.
Starting January 28, Apple is launching its first Today at Apple session dedicated solely to data privacy: “Taking Charge of Your Privacy on iPhone.” You can register for the free sessions starting today (January 24) in Apple retail locations around the world at Apple.com/privacy or the Today at Apple page on Apple.com (opens in new tab).
For both the video and live sessions, there are no new Apple Data Privacy features to tout. They are all now available in iOS 16. Topics covered in the sessions include:
- Passwords and access keys
- App tracking transparency
- Security check
- Location Services
- Email privacy protection
- App Privacy Report
In other words, you learn more about how to keep your mobile information private from Today at Apple than from Nick Mohammed.
That four-part (not counting the introduction and ending) video will be featured prominently on Apple.com, social media and YouTube (opens in new tab). While you may already be using features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, you can probably still chuckle when you see Mohammed repeatedly embarrassing himself. It’s a far cry from where his character Nathan Shelley will go in the upcoming Season 3 of Ted Lasso (which lives on Apple TV Plus, of course), where he now faces Lasso as the new manager of a rival team.
While Apple’s appropriation of Data Privacy Day (introduced in Europe in 2007 and adopted by the US in 2009) may seem selfish, Apple’s data protection tools have significantly impacted the way many mobile, tech, and social media companies operate.
Multiple companies, including Facebook (Meta) and Twitter, have pointed out the detrimental impact Apple Tracking Transparency has had on their businesses, which may include costs them billions of dollars (opens in new tab) in advertising revenue.
Because Apple doesn’t sell ads on its consumer devices or share the data it houses (and encrypts) for its consumers, Apple can do what, say, Google can’t. The latter’s business is built almost entirely on user data and advertising.
It makes sense for Apple to support and celebrate this week, while other tech companies may take a more muted or even silent approach.
However, the real question is how well do you know the privacy tools on one of Apple’s top iPhones or even top smartphones? If you’re not happy with how your data is being managed, it might be time to make a trade-in.