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Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

developer-tech.com

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Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#111

Post by adonese »

I turn off all notifications except for sms and calls. And even for sms, i muted most of the operator promotional sms. The urge to check for the phone and the demand that you have to check for this notification was killing me. Surprisingly enough, some people would go nuts when seeing a kid nagging in demand of certain thing, while they are totally ok with their apps doing the exact same thing and even worse

It comes with a gotcha though, as i sometimes check some chat apps awaiting for response, but the good thing is when that happens i notice it, and it is not the norm.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#112

Post by jasonlotito »

cloverich wrote: post #101
jw1224 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it's beneficial! Can you not put yourself in the shoes of a normal consumer and recognise that? They probably don't care if the app is tracking their location to tell how often they visit the shop. In exchange for this inconsequential sacrifice to their privacy they get easy and convenient discounts, tailored to them, when they go about their daily routine. I'm privacy-conscious and technologically literate…

You see geo location data that can (and is) re-sold throughout the industry and aggregated by political parties as inconsequential? (Intentionally extreme example, but this is not hyperbole)

Not the person you were asking, but no, I don't see that as significant. There are other far more significant things in my life. Data being aggregated about me isn't a significant issue in my life. It seems like most people are this way.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#113

Post by untog »

amelius wrote: post #20
a_imho wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interestingly I interpret the article as apps were abusing push notifications without a second thought in the past when it was explicitly against the guidelines, I fail to see how they will self moderate now some of it is even allowed. With the ample data we have so far it most probably will lead to dark UI patterns with dysfunctional opt-outs and/or blanket consents at most if someone takes it seriously at all.

Then these apps would be removed from the app store, I suppose.

It's tricky. Could you imagine if Apple removed Uber from the App Store? Users would be livid. And at Apple, not Uber, I suspect.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#115

Post by SilasX »

sanedigital wrote: post #3

Depending on how this is implemented, this could actually be a step in the right direction. Lots of apps already send "promotional" push notifications (including big names like Lyft and Uber). The only way to turn them off was to turn off all notifications, which meant missing actual important updates. If this change means being able to opt-out of one without losing the other, I'm all for it.

I don’t understand why this would make any difference regarding their ability to abuse push notifications for ads.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#116

Post by solarkraft »

rekoil wrote: post #89
fmajid wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's enforcement of the app store rules is sporadic at best, specially the widespread abuse of notifications for marketing.

But perhaps the reason they have been so lax in enforcing that particular rule is because they know they are doing it themselves in their own apps, and didn't want to attract lawsuits? If so, now that they are introducing this new functionality they might start looking more carefully at notification system abuse.

They don't seem to concerned about lawsuits, considering the advantages their own apps get on the platform.

They seem to enforce the guidelines purely based on politics (whether the publisher has friends at Apple and how important the app is to the ecosystem).

I do wish they'd be legally bound to treat everyone the same way (EU?).

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#117

Post by izzydata »

I've only recently heard of push notifications. I feel like we are being inundated with so many notifications that we now need a super notifications. Where does this notification creep end? Normal notifications should be perfectly acceptable if things weren't spamming that method to begin with. I feel like notifications and eventually push notifications will go the way of the phone call. You won't even bother looking at them anymore because you know it has such a high chance of being nothing.

At any rate anything that puts an ad in my notifications is as good as uninstalled. I'm already unsure how to turn off the news push notifications that I'm getting now.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#118

Post by MrMember »

Tepix wrote: post #23

As a consumer, i uninstall such apps. One example is the german „KaufDa“ app which was quite useful to me. I complained about the unwanted push messages and their support pretended to be dumb. I ended up uninstalling it. Only if consumers refuse to accept these annoyances it will stop.

I was an Audible subscriber for 5+ years until they started sending ads through push notifications with no way to disable them (media controls are done through the notification system on Android so I didn't want to disable them at the OS level). I canceled my subscription and told them why.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#119

Post by makecheck »

The problem to me is that it is increasingly difficult to find software that is just useful, without disrespecting users constantly.

There are tons of issues in the App Store off the top of my head that I would rather Apple solve first (“making advertising easier” is #67422 on the list). And incidentally, their changes to search have made it incredibly hard to find apps I want, while adding...advertising!

Now, every day at least, when I open an app because I want to do something immediately, at least one will instead disrespect my time by popping up some modal first. “New features!” ”Promotional offer!” “Don’t you want to give us your E-mail first!?!?” Actually, no: I launched your app because I wanted to get something done, and your ad has made it slower.

Same with notifications, especially if you have secured your lock screen so that the subject of the notification is not immediately apparent. I want useful things, and I want everything else to go away. This seems like another step sideways or backwards from useful software.

Re: Apple now allows iOS developers to send ads using push notifications

#120

Post by wool_gather »

bgrainger wrote: post #110
sanedigital wrote: post #3

Depending on how this is implemented, this could actually be a step in the right direction. Lots of apps already send "promotional" push notifications (including big names like Lyft and Uber). The only way to turn them off was to turn off all notifications, which meant missing actual important updates. If this change means being able to opt-out of one without losing the other, I'm all for it.

You can keep the "ride is here" notifications in Lyft but turn the ads off by going to: Menu > Settings > Privacy > Notifications Preferences > Discounts and News : Off For Uber, it's similar: Menu > Settings > Privacy > Notifications > Discounts and News > Off A built-in/centralized way in iOS to accomplish this (that's more discoverable) would be much better.

> A built-in/centralized way in iOS to accomplish this

That would rely on the senders tagging the pushes correctly, as "ad" vs. "not-ad", which would ultimately fall back to App Store review enforcement anyways.

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