Survey: iOS users agree with Apple’s latest privacy moves but….

Apple introduced several new privacy improvements to its iPhone and iPad lineup with the rollout of recent iOS and iPadOS updates.The new features, which include App Store privacy labels, are part of the firm’s latest efforts to bolster user privacy.

Camera/mic recording indicators, Safari in-browser password monitoring, approximate location sharing, and clipboard access alert are among the other new prominent security features of iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4.

And with Apple expected to roll out the controversial tracking prompts feature in the spring now, SellCell, a site for selling iPhones, surveyed more than 2,000 iPhone and iPad users in the US to understand their attitude towards online privacy, what they think about Apple’s new privacy policies, and more.

Survey highlights:

• A majority (72%) of iPhone and iPad users are aware of new privacy changes in recent software updates.

When asked how well they understand Apple’s new privacy policies, these were the responses: Extremely well (13%), Very well (29%), Moderately well (21%), Slightly well (9%), and Not well at all (28%).

• Two in three (65%) users are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their activities being tracked as they use certain websites and apps, while only 14% said they were not at all concerned.

As Apple’s upcoming “App Tracking Transparency” feature will let a user decide whether or not to allow being tracked by an app, SellCell asked a series of related questions to understand how users might respond to such prompts.

• Sixty-five percent agreed they would rather see generic ads than allow tracking between sites and apps for personalized ads, while 35% disagreed.
• Fifty-nine percent agreed they would opt-in to being tracked if that’s how the app delivers relevant content, while 41% disagreed.
• Forty-eight percent are open to being tracked if it means not losing access to content or features they currently enjoy, while a slightly higher 52% disagreed.
• Seventy-four percent of users would rather have apps track their online activities than pay for content or features that are currently free; only a mere 26% said otherwise.
• A majority (61%) disagreed when asked if they would be more likely to “allow” tracking if the app in question is a familiar one like Facebook or Instagram, as opposed to 39% who agreed.
• Forty-three percent agreed they wouldn’t mind being tracked by apps that are upfront about the data collected and their applications, while 57% disagreed.
• More than half (52%) think frequent tracking prompts would negatively impact the user experience.

As App Store privacy labels now give an overview of all sorts of data a particular app collects beforehand, SellCell asked the survey participants whether they would refrain from downloading an app that asks for too much personal info. 57% agreed, versus 43% not in accord.

• A majority of users (~65%) said they agree with Apple’s new privacy policies, while 23% think the firm may be taking it too far. Meanwhile, another 12% aren’t sure what to make of it.
• Two-thirds (65%) are “extremely” or “very” concerned about online privacy.