Apple has been on its privacy train for years now. "We believe privacy is a fundamental human right" has made its way out of Tim Cook and Craig Federighi's mouths so many times that it is baked into my brain. I did not have to look that phrase up to remember it exactly.
Of course, on the other side of the coin is Google, which learns basically everything about you when you use the company's search engine. That's definitely what Apple wants you to think with its new privacy ad called "Flock."
The new ad tells you that "your browsing is being watched" and depicts that with flying cameras following people around everyone. Whether you're taking a walk on the beach, fishing in the middle of the ocean, or hanging out on your couch — you're not alone when you're browsing on your phone...unless you use Safari on an iPhone.
You can check out the new ad below:
Don't forget to change your search engine, too
While Apple didn't mention any other browser by name in the ad, it's clear the company is taking a shot at Google's Chrome app. Of course, there are other privacy-focused browsers available for the iPhone like DuckDuckGo. It's also good to note that, even if you choose Safari, Google is still the default search engine on iPhone, so you might want to change that to more privacy-focused search engine options like DuckDuckGo and Ecosia.
What does Google think about the ad? Well, Tom's Guide asked. According to the outlet, a Google spokesperson provided a statement that said "Chrome is built with the goal of keeping your data safe by default and ensuring users can control when and how their data is used in Chrome to personalize their web browsing experience. We believe users should always be in control, which is why we've built easy to use privacy and security settings directly into Chrome."
That sounds less like "we don't collect your data" and more like "you're in control of all of that data we collect about you" to me. I've personally used the Safari app and DuckDuckGo as my search engine for years, so I'm way ahead of you, Apple.
