The best way to teach students about very boring subjects is through humor, at least that’s the assumption Apple makes in its new four-part data privacy video series featuring Ted Lasso’s Nick Muhammad.
The video, released today as part of a multi-pronged effort to highlight Data Privacy Day (January 28), the week leading up to it, and all the data privacy tools iPhone users may or may not use, highlights four core iPhone data privacy features.
In the video, “A Day in the Life of Me Data of an Ordinary Person,” Mohamed plays Aaliyah’s version of himself, someone who cares overly about his fame and notoriety, but who is also humbled at every turn. It mostly takes a light touch to explain tools like Mail Privacy Protection, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Apple Tracking Transparency, Wallet, and Apple Pay.
More serious guidance will come courtesy of a new Today at Apple session in person.
Starting January 28th, Apple will launch the first Today at Apple session dedicated solely to data privacy: “Take Charge of Your iPhone Privacy.” You can sign up for the free sessions, which will take place at Apple retail locations around the world, starting today (January 24) at Apple.com/privacy or the Today at Apple page at Apple.com. (Opens in a new tab).
For both video and live sessions, there are no new data privacy features for Apple to promote. All of them are available in iOS 16 now. Topics covered by the sessions include:
- Passwords and passkeys
- Application tracking transparency
- Security check
- Site services
- Mail privacy protection
- Application privacy report
In other words, you’ll learn more about how to keep your mobile information private via Today at Apple than you will from Nick Mohammed.
The four-part video (not counting the intro and outro) will be featured prominently on Apple.com, social media, and YouTube (Opens in a new tab). While you might already be using features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, you probably still get a chuckle watching Muhammad embarrass himself over and over again. It’s a far cry from where his character Nathan Shelley is headed in Ted Lasso’s upcoming third season (which is live on Apple TV Plus, of course) as he now competes with Lasso as the new manager of a rival team.
While Apple’s dedication to Data Privacy Day (launched in Europe in 2007 and adopted by the US in 2009) may seem self-serving, Apple’s data protection tools have had a significant impact on the way many mobile, technology, and media companies operate. Social Media.
Many companies, including Facebook (Meta) and Twitter, have noted the detrimental impact of Apple’s transparency tracking on their business, including costing them billions of dollars. (Opens in a new tab) in advertising revenue.
Since Apple doesn’t sell ads on its consumer devices or share any of the data it contains (and encrypts it) with its customers, Apple can do what Google can’t, for example. The latter’s business is built almost entirely on user data and ads.
It makes sense for Apple to lean on and celebrate this week while other tech companies might take a more muted or even silent approach.
However, the real question is how well do you know the privacy tools on any of Apple’s best iPhones or even the best smartphones? If you’re not happy with how your data is being managed, it’s time to take action.