Apple is warning its iPhone users to delete a common app, claiming it’s a danger to digital privacy.
Without mentioning the company by name, Apple issued a video warning for users to stop using Google Chrome.
A video titled “Privacy on iPhone: Flock” parodies Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film “The Birds” to demonstrate how browser information isn’t really hidden from trackers.
“Flock” is likely a play on the web-tracking tech called FLoC, or Federated Learning of Cohorts, which allows “advertisers and sites to show relevant ads without tracking individuals across the web.” Google dumped that tracking mechanism for a less privacy-friendly targeted-advertising mechanism.
In the video, iPhone users are being followed by surveillance cameras as they browse the internet. The cameras finally explode and leave the users alone when they decide to use Safari as their browser.
The video from Apple is gaining traction after Google announced Tuesday that it won’t remove third-party cookies in Chrome after promising to do so.
The controversy has led Apple to promote its browser, Safari, as a “browser that’s actually private.”
Chrome allows websites and advertisers to track users’ activity in order to serve personalized ads, which is a multibillion-dollar revenue stream for Google.
Google initially planned to get rid of third-party cookies and develop a new way to issue targeted ads while still preserving user privacy, but the plan fell apart and the company has chosen to “maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome.”
Tracking cookies aren’t inherently bad, but they can open the door to privacy risks, and sometimes increase the likelihood of your data and sensitive information being leaked or stolen — meaning if you have an iPhone and use Chrome, you likely will continue to be tracked unless you use Incognito Mode or you clear cookies manually.
Apple’s argument that Safari is safer has been backed up by experts, too.
“When it comes down to your security, Safari is probably your best bet,” Elly Hancock from Private Internet Access said in a blog post.
“Safari is more secure and privacy-friendly than Chrome, but Chrome is faster and offers enhanced performance.”
