Apple is the most privacy-focused titan of big tech, right? (Probably yes.) So why would Italy fine Apple for a privacy infraction?
From my story at Forbes:
One of the key problems, according to Italy’s competition authority, is that Apple is forcing iPhone owners to use a non-optional Apple ID that is tied to ad targeting without disclosure.
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The answer lies in a critical decision Apple made a few years ago with regard to its little-known ad network, Apple Search Ads. A decision that makes Apple’s ad network globally unique compared to all other ad networks, in fact.