Apple consistently says that "privacy is a fundamental human right." During every iPhone launch, WWDC keynote, and interview, the company emphasizes that, unlike its competitors, it does not collect or sell personal data to third-party companies. However, as Apple seeks to increase revenue through its advertising department, its practices have come under scrutiny. This began with suggested apps on the App Store, followed by an increase in featured ads, and, most recently, with businesses suggested in Apple Maps.
Following the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple began rolling out personalized recommendations on the App Store, claiming these help developers grow and reach new audiences. Yet, security researchers from the X account Mysk have revealed alarming data: Apple has begun recording every tap a user makes when using the App Store, with no way to disable this tracking. The depth of this surveillance is particularly concerning, as Apple monitors typing speed, search terms, specific tap locations within the app, and the OS version being used.
While Apple typically defends itself by stating that its strict rules apply to third-party developers, that it does not sell data, and that it only uses randomized, aggregated information, it still fails to provide users with a meaningful choice regarding their own data. Besides that, an ever-growing push into the ads department puts all of Apple's PR over "privacy is a human right" in question.
Users can't opt out from personalized recommendations
José Adorno/BGR
Last week, Apple announced that personalized recommendations would utilize "user interests, along with App Notes that explain why specific apps are recommended. These tailored recommendations can appear on the Apps, Games, and Search tabs, evolving over time based on a user's app usage and downloads." Currently, this feature is only available in English for users in the U.S., but more regions and languages are expected in the coming months. While Apple claims this benefits developers, Mysk raises a critical point: "If you don't like Apple Music's privacy options, you can stream music from Spotify. But where else can you download apps on the iPhone?"
Their questioning raises important issues about Apple's App Store monopoly. Even though the company had to offer third-party marketplaces in Europe due to the Digital Markets Act, and other countries are following suit, the majority of regions and users still require the App Store to enjoy iPhone apps.
Ultimately, it is weird to see Apple, one of the world's most valuable companies, adopt a "small business" persona to justify bypassing user consent for data collection. Basically, Apple acts like it's the only one we can trust just because it's always been a hardware company, while painting every other big company, like Meta, Google, and more, as if they're waiting to exploit your data. Now it feels like Apple is doing the same. But is Apple going to save us from itself?