Apple consistently asserts that “privacy is a fundamental human right.” At 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 service, its practices have come under scrutiny. It started with suggested apps in the App Store, followed by an increase in featured ads and, more recently, suggested businesses in Apple Maps.
Following the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple began rolling out personalized recommendations to the App Store, saying they help developers grow and reach new audiences. Yet security researchers at Account X Mysk revealed alarming data: Apple began recording every click a user made while using the App Store, with no way to turn off this tracking. The extent of this monitoring is particularly concerning because Apple monitors typing speed, search terms, specific locations within the app, and the version of the operating system used.
Even though Apple generally defends itself by saying its strict rules apply to third-party developers, that it doesn’t sell data, and that it only uses random, aggregated information, it still fails to offer users meaningful choice over their own data. On top of that, an ever-growing push in the advertising department calls into question all of Apple’s “privacy is a human right” PR.
Users cannot opt out of personalized recommendations
Last week, Apple announced that personalized recommendations would use “user interests, as well as App Ratings explaining why specific apps are recommended.” These personalized recommendations may appear in the Apps, Games, and Search tabs, evolving over time based on the user’s usage and downloads of the app. » Currently, this feature is only available in English for users in the United States, but other regions and languages are expected in the coming months. While Apple says 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 iPhone?
Their challenges raise important questions about Apple’s monopoly on the App Store. Even though the company had to offer third-party marketplaces in Europe due to the Digital Markets Act and other countries followed suit, the majority of regions and users still need the App Store to enjoy iPhone apps.
Ultimately, it’s strange to see Apple, one of the most valuable companies in the world, adopting “small business” status to justify circumventing user consent for data collection. Basically, Apple acts like it’s the only one we can trust simply because it’s always been a hardware company, while portraying every other big company, like Meta, Google, and more, as if they’re waiting to exploit your data. Now it looks like Apple is doing the same. But will Apple save us from itself?
