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Because Android users will switch to iOS for better privacy, Google needs to develop something similar to keep the market share.

pm90 6y ago
Is there any reason to think users care about it enough to switch based solely on this feature? Apple has been posturing itself as the privacy-first platform and so far it doesn’t seem like Android/Google is stepping up to challenge that (afaik, would love to see evidence that they are).
- kmonsen 6y ago
  I don’t think google will do it until users start leaving in significant numbers at least. And that’s seems unlikely.
- searchableguy 6y ago
  Android updated its permission system after iOS. You had to agree to all the permissions an app needed before installing it but they changed it to be progressive like iOS and I think it's more flexible than iOS now. For example, my phone has the ability to disable network permission for single apps like wifi, vpn, data, etc from settings. > Is there any reason to think users care about it enough to switch based solely on this feature? People buying flagship android phones definitely. They cost as much as iphones. Others, I am not sure.
bnjemian 6y ago
It may not be as clear cut as this – if an Android user cares about privacy, then they're probably using the OS in spite of its relatively poor privacy. Maybe this will be the one thing that for a small minority of those users makes them switch to iOS, but I'd expect that number to be closer to a rounding error. From that perspective, the upside for Google integrating a similar feature into Android seems comparatively small.
m463 6y ago
so... compete on rhetoric?
virtue3 6y ago
Privacy vs walled garden is a hard bet. If I really wanted to, I'd just install a different OS on my android over going to Apple TBH.
- peteretep 6y ago
  > Privacy vs walled garden is a hard bet I don't believe this is true or even a consideration for the majority of users.
  - fsflover 6y ago
    Which proof do you need? Walled garden is bad for users, even if they do not (yet) realize it.
    - peteretep 6y ago
      > Walled garden is bad for users Proof of that, specifically.
      - fsflover 6y ago
        Users have less freedom and cannot do many things by definition. Granted, this may not be important for everyone, but neither is freedom of speech. In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs. Lock-in costs that create barriers to market entry may result in antitrust action against a monopoly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in
        peteretep 6y ago
        > this may not be important for everyone It’s of marginal importance to me, but the ability to install virtually anything on the App Store reasonably confident it’s not going to break my primary communication device or exfiltrate my data (without my permission) etc etc is of far more importance. I rely on my phone very heavily and the fact that it reliably Just Fucking Works is much much more important than being able to — for example — run Firefox on it
simias 6y ago
I have zero faith that a significant proportion of consumers will switch to iOS solely for privacy reasons. We've seen time and again that mainstream consumers would gladly surrender all their private info if it saves them $100.
- nvarsj 6y ago
  Most people do care about privacy, but generally they are not even aware of how their privacy is being violated - Google and Facebook are very good at hiding the reality of these things. But you're right, the cost is the ultimate factor for most people, especially in developing countries. I guess Apple doesn't care about complete market share, but if they did, they could just release an "iPhone Lite" for 150$ and good bye to Android market share. Imagine having 90%+ mobile phone market share - Apple could destroy the Google ad business.
fuzzy2 6y ago
I don’t think they will. The unfortunate truth is that iPhones are just so much more expensive that this will not happen.
Yuioup 6y ago
No way am I going to get locked into Apple
dspillett 6y ago
I think it is more the other way around: feature parity to aid switching to rather than to reduce loss of shre due to people switching from. Those of us using Android who care that much about the privacy aspect have ways to implement it (a little more Heath Robinson like, but still...) using a VPN and alternative browsers. Many in the Andoid camp are likely to see this are preferable to switching platforms and paying more for their devices (unless they run with expansive flagship android units in which case cost is less of an issue in the switch). Those that don't care that much, don't care enough to make a difference. On the other hand Apple providing extra privacy protection is a significant extra bit of friction that would stop people moving away from iDevices onto Android ones, even amongst people who don't care enough to make any effort beyond not switching and/or don't really understand the issue much if at all.

pm90 6y ago

Is there any reason to think users care about it enough to switch based solely on this feature? Apple has been posturing itself as the privacy-first platform and so far it doesn’t seem like Android/Google is stepping up to challenge that (afaik, would love to see evidence that they are).

kmonsen 6y ago
I don’t think google will do it until users start leaving in significant numbers at least. And that’s seems unlikely.
searchableguy 6y ago
Android updated its permission system after iOS. You had to agree to all the permissions an app needed before installing it but they changed it to be progressive like iOS and I think it's more flexible than iOS now. For example, my phone has the ability to disable network permission for single apps like wifi, vpn, data, etc from settings. > Is there any reason to think users care about it enough to switch based solely on this feature? People buying flagship android phones definitely. They cost as much as iphones. Others, I am not sure.

bnjemian 6y ago

It may not be as clear cut as this – if an Android user cares about privacy, then they're probably using the OS in spite of its relatively poor privacy. Maybe this will be the one thing that for a small minority of those users makes them switch to iOS, but I'd expect that number to be closer to a rounding error. From that perspective, the upside for Google integrating a similar feature into Android seems comparatively small.

m463 6y ago

so... compete on rhetoric?

virtue3 6y ago

Privacy vs walled garden is a hard bet. If I really wanted to, I'd just install a different OS on my android over going to Apple TBH.

peteretep 6y ago
> Privacy vs walled garden is a hard bet I don't believe this is true or even a consideration for the majority of users.
- fsflover 6y ago
  Which proof do you need? Walled garden is bad for users, even if they do not (yet) realize it.
  - peteretep 6y ago
    > Walled garden is bad for users Proof of that, specifically.
    - fsflover 6y ago
      Users have less freedom and cannot do many things by definition. Granted, this may not be important for everyone, but neither is freedom of speech. In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs. Lock-in costs that create barriers to market entry may result in antitrust action against a monopoly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in
      - peteretep 6y ago
        > this may not be important for everyone It’s of marginal importance to me, but the ability to install virtually anything on the App Store reasonably confident it’s not going to break my primary communication device or exfiltrate my data (without my permission) etc etc is of far more importance. I rely on my phone very heavily and the fact that it reliably Just Fucking Works is much much more important than being able to — for example — run Firefox on it

simias 6y ago

I have zero faith that a significant proportion of consumers will switch to iOS solely for privacy reasons. We've seen time and again that mainstream consumers would gladly surrender all their private info if it saves them $100.

nvarsj 6y ago
Most people do care about privacy, but generally they are not even aware of how their privacy is being violated - Google and Facebook are very good at hiding the reality of these things. But you're right, the cost is the ultimate factor for most people, especially in developing countries. I guess Apple doesn't care about complete market share, but if they did, they could just release an "iPhone Lite" for 150$ and good bye to Android market share. Imagine having 90%+ mobile phone market share - Apple could destroy the Google ad business.

fuzzy2 6y ago

I don’t think they will. The unfortunate truth is that iPhones are just so much more expensive that this will not happen.

Yuioup 6y ago

No way am I going to get locked into Apple

dspillett 6y ago

I think it is more the other way around: feature parity to aid switching to rather than to reduce loss of shre due to people switching from. Those of us using Android who care that much about the privacy aspect have ways to implement it (a little more Heath Robinson like, but still...) using a VPN and alternative browsers. Many in the Andoid camp are likely to see this are preferable to switching platforms and paying more for their devices (unless they run with expansive flagship android units in which case cost is less of an issue in the switch). Those that don't care that much, don't care enough to make a difference. On the other hand Apple providing extra privacy protection is a significant extra bit of friction that would stop people moving away from iDevices onto Android ones, even amongst people who don't care enough to make any effort beyond not switching and/or don't really understand the issue much if at all.