by Jason Snell
Did Godzilla just step on a bad idea?
Nick Heer comments on a spectacularly weird New York Times story titled “Did Apple Just Kill Social Apps?,” which is actually about how Apple has ratcheted up contacts-sharing security in iOS 18:
What I do not understand is granting Bier’s objections the imprimatur of a New York Times story when one can see the full picture of Bier’s track record. On the merits, I am unsympathetic to his complaints. Users can still submit their full contact list if they so choose, but now they have the option of permitting only some access to an app I have not even decided I trust.
I didn’t originally link to the NYT story because I thought it wasn’t worth the kick. (It’s rare that a story is worse than its provocative headline, but this one manages it.) I’m glad, though, that Heer was willing to write the takedown. The more I think about it, the more off-balance the entire story seems. Apple increases user choice and privacy, and we’re worried about the startup bro?
But as Dan Moren pointed out to me on the Six Colors podcast earlier today, the one thing the article does point out is that Apple’s scale is so enormous these days that any move the company has potentially huge ramifications. They are a Godzilla, and you don’t want them to step on you.
That said, if Apple feels it’s beneficial for its customers if it occasionally steps on creepy tech bros who want to violate our privacy in order to build their next business, I might be okay with the crunching.