Remember Birds, the iconic movie by Alfred Hitchcock? Even if you don’t Birds will be most likely popping in your mind if you watch the latest Apple promo about its privacy efforts with Safari browser. In a spot that highlights how pervasive is web tracking by tech companies, who are always interested in selling advertisements to people, Apple has used some live-action CCTVs to make its point.
How? For its privacy message, Apple has given wings to CCTV cameras as they fly and hop around people who are using internet, peering into their phones. The bird-like CCTVs glow red, are persistent and annoying in their bid to peep into people’s lives and the entire footage is full of people shrieking in horror. In words so totally Hitchcockian!
The solution to the surveillance horror? Apple says use Safari because it can block ad tracking. The Apple video shows CCTVs bursting in flames as soon as people open and start using Safari browser.
Well, like all advertisements the Apple spot too is hyperbolic. But its release does puts some spotlight on privacy protection that is built in Safari. Such as:
Safari prevents cross-site tracking
Apple notes that one of the most pervasive methods of online surveillance is cross-site tracking, where data companies track users across multiple websites to gather information and deliver targeted advertisements. This method often results in users seeing ads for products they have recently viewed on different sites. However, Apple’s Safari browser addresses this issue with its Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP).
Apple says that ITP system uses machine learning to identify and block trackers that follow users from site to site. This then offers more robust privacy protection to users.
Additionally, the Safari browser also protects users from fingerprinting – a technique where data companies track users based on their device’s unique configurations, such as fonts, plugins, and screen resolutions. This Apple does by limiting the amount of system information that Safari provides to websites.
Safari protects users’ location data
Another sensitive issue while browsing online is location data, which can reveal a lot about a person, such as their home address, workplace, and frequently visited places. However, the Safari browser addresses this concern by not sharing location data with search engines when users perform searches using the built-in search field. Safari also gives users more granular control through which they can supply only the relevant location information. For example, they can even set preferences for how long location information is accessible, with options to limit it to a single day or specific websites.
Protecting privacy on Web Extensions
Apple notes that while web extensions enhance the browsing experience by adding functionality like displaying coupons, news headlines, or changing web page appearances, they also pose privacy risks as they can access sensitive information, including what users type and view. To help users with these risks, the Safari browser mitigates these risks by supporting the WebExtensions standard while providing robust user control over these extensions.
Private browsing mode on Safari
Safari introduced Private Browsing mode in 2005. Over the years it has become more powerful. Now Safari’s Private Browsing mode offers advanced protections. It prevents web pages, searches, and AutoFill information from being saved. Used with Face ID and Touch ID, it also locks automatically.
One key feature in Safari’s Private Browsing is link tracking protection, which removes unnecessary trackers from URLs shared in Messages and Mail. Like other features, here too Apple offers finer and granular controls to users.