https://www.macrumors.com/2024/05/15/ios-18-accessibility-features/
Apple today previewed many new accessibility features coming later this year with software updates like iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2....
Five years from now:
Apple spokesman claims reports that eye-tracking Accessibility feature usage was sold 'exaggerated'
A spokesman for Apple dismissed reports that the company's eye-tracking accessibility feature—designed assist impaired users with using their device by detecting eye movements—was also tracking their interest in potentially sensitive topics and selling the data to advertising partners and law enforcement agencies, calling the allegations "grossly exaggerated" and stating "the term 'sell' demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the structure of Apple's partnership agreements as detailed in the Terms of Service". Whistleblowers claim the software runs constantly even when not enabled, and allegedly checks reading speed and pupil dilation to gauge interest in products and services, but also in "sensitive topics". According to data mined by researchers from the University of [Blue State], this allegedly includes topics such as race relations and white supremacy, protesting and civil disobedience, firearm ownership, industrial sabotage, anti-corporate activism, abortion, environmentalism, police brutality, and political movements. Apple declined to comment further after the conclusion of their press release.
I'm not an apple user, not a fan of apple or their business practices, but I work in UX and MacOS and iOS are the indisputable leader when it comes to accessibility. And these features can be enabled to your taste. This seems like an amazing feature for people with motor disabilities. What's creepy about it? You can live your life without ever enabling it.
The concern here is them surreptitiously enabling the feature for all sorts of creepy stuff. Including, but certainly not limited to, ads, user tracking and the like.
In fact, here is John Gruber’s skeptical take on Apple selling ads.
While they do claim to hold user privacy as high priority, there’s reason to be skeptical.
Apple is famous for having accessible devices. Get an Android if that bothers you.
I’m downvoting you because google is creepy about all that data collection. Apple is the lesser evil in this sense.
You’re downvoting me for something I never said, also we both agree. Thanks I guess.
While I don’t take any stance here, just know that the up- or downvoting should not be an „agree“ or „disagree“ button. An upvote should indicate that a comment is bringing value to the discussion or the topic, even if it does not align with one’s view.
Get a Linux phone if you’re so paranoid about big tech. Try Postmarket os or Ubuntu touch os.