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The Battle for Digital Privacy is Reshaping the Internet
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The Battle for Digital Privacy is Reshaping the Internet

As Apple and Google enact privacy changes, businesses are grappling with the fallout, Madison Avenue is fighting back and Facebook has cried foul.

Brian X. Chen
The New York Times, 2021
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Analytical
  • Applicable

Recommendation

The tech industry’s titans are starting to take privacy seriously, including the sale and use of people’s personal information. As Brian X. Chen reports in The New York Times, Apple’s iPhones now ask users’ permission to track their activities, Google might eliminate tracking on its Chrome browser, and Facebook says it's working to target ads without exploiting your personal information. The $350 billion a year digital ad industry that supported the internet is shifting – but something has to take its place.

Take-Aways

  • Technology giants seek to earn ad revenue amid issues related to privacy and the use of personal information.
  • Companies must adapt to a “privacy-conscious internet.” For some firms, paid subscriptions will be the answer.
  • Facebook and Google are exploring how to retain targeted ads without compromising users’ personal information.

About the Author

Brian X. Chen is the lead consumer technology writer for The New York Times.

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