You really think it was solely Apple making a privacy stand and not being pissed at the competition?
Heck, I’ve never even seen evidence of your claims. Not that Google doesn’t track stuff, but so does Apple. Someone was bragging to me about the data Apple collects in another post.
It seems the issue was Google not offering the same maps experience through the API versus native Android, having to pay Google for it, not getting the location data Google was getting, and the general issue of working with a competitor.
Still, Apple Maps launched as an inferior product, even worse than what they complained about Google offering. As such, many just added Google Maps back in as an app as soon as it was available.
I won’t argue that it didn’t suck st launch, because Apple Maps did. Now depending on where you are at it is just as good or better in getting from A to B. It still lacks in searching for places to go and details on them.
But as for the opt in/opt out? Google pretty much tracked you regardless
I use Apple Maps as it is better integrated with the rest of my apple products and I just don’t trust google with my data. It gets me to where I need to be without issue.
Yes, they track anonymous location data. The point is, Apple didn’t have a problem with it and was in fact not happy they didn’t get the data for themselves. In fact, Apple Maps does the same.
The article you posted is nothing to do with pulling Google Maps as a default app and is, in fact, specific to Android.
And that’s just it: I’m a Windows guy. Engineering programs just are not on Mac. My iPhone is my only Apple product. So Google is what better integrates for me.
“His office began investigating how Google handles user location data after reporting from the Associated Press in 2018 found that many Google apps across iOS and Android recorded location data even when users have chosen privacy options that explicitly say they won’t”