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Apple is warning iPhone users to delete a commonly used app immediately.
A video titled 'Privacy on iPhone | Flock,' which parodies the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds, doesn't specifically mention Google Chrome by name, but shows how browser information isn't actually hidden from trackers. "Flock" is suspected to be a reference to Google's initial tracking cookie replacement plan, Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), which is described by the company as being "a new way for advertisers and sites to show relevant ads without tracking individuals across the web.”
The Apple video shows iPhone users being followed by surveillance cameras while web browsing before the cameras explode after the user opts to instead use Safari, the web browser developed by Apple Inc.
The 'Flock' video was initially released nine months ago, but has gained traction this week after Google announced Tuesday (April 22) that it wouldn't remove third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser despite promising to do so previously. Apple promoted Safari as a "browser that's actually private" while Chrome allows websites and advertisers to track web browsing activity, leading to personalized ads, as well as a multi-billion-dollar revenue stream for Google.
Google previously said it intended to get rid of third-party cookies and develop a new method for targeted ads while focusing on user privacy, but changed course after opting to “maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome.”