The New iPhone Update Has Dropped

Posted on April 27, 2021

Time To Update Your Phone For Improved Privacy

Apple’s new iPhone update has finally dropped.

iOS 14.5 adds new features, including a privacy change that gives users more control over apps that track for advertising.

You will see pop ups on your iPhone from Facebook in the next few weeks that ask:
Do you give it permission to track you?

When your apps pop up a question about tracking, tap “Ask App not to Track” to better protect your privacy.

If you tap “Allow,”  that means you accept online ads that seem to know a lot about you. (If you messed up and accidentally gave an app permission to track, you can make a new choice one app at a time under Settings, then Privacy, then Tracking)

If you have more than one Apple device, such as an iPad, you’ll have to say no on each device.

To prevent this same pop-up from appearing for lots of different apps, and limit some more digital tracking in your life, you should change two more settings right now. Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Tracking, then make sure “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is switched to off.

From Washingpost.com:

While we’re adjusting settings, there’s one more I highly recommend for Facebook members. Tell the social network to stop using your “off-Facebook activity.”

Here’s why: Even after you tell the Facebook app not to track your iPhone, the social network still will try to collect lots of information about what you do elsewhere — such as on your laptop or when you make a purchase at a store. Although Facebook has done this for years, in 2020 it gave members the ability at least to ask it to stop using this information.

Of course Facebook really buried this setting, too. It’s easiest to access on the Web, by clicking this link. In the Facebook app, tap on the three lines in the right bottom corner, then scroll down and tap on “Settings & Privacy,” then tap on “Privacy Shortcuts.” Then scroll down to and tap on “View” or clear your off-Facebook activity.

Headlines