Sign in with Apple

Apple introduced Sign in with Apple, which is its own single sign-on method. It allows users to use a universal login ID across different applications and websites. This approach is very much indicative of today's Apple using its massive market presence to positively influence privacy culture.

Creating an account for each individual app and website can be painful. Accounts create friction and get in the way of people immediately using the product. Accounts are, however, necessary. How else would you access your personalized social media, purchase products, or access your online finances?

People will generally take the path of least resistance. Developers want to reduce friction. Thus, single sign-on became popular. As noted in my examples above, if a company can tie social media, purchase information, financial information, and other personalized data together, that's very desirable to advertisers. Advertisers continue to amass as much data as they can.

Thankfully, with Sign In with Apple, Apple is using its unique, market leading position to push back. Sign In with Apple allows clear choice of what information you choose to share with the app or website. It also prevents cross app or website tracking with anonymized email addresses, should you so choose.

What I find fascinating is Apple requiring its Sign In to be included for apps that support other third-party sign-in options. That requirement demonstrates Apple's willingness to throw its weight around for privacy protections. Some may deem it as overreaching but frankly, amassing as much of my data as possible is overreaching.

I imagine advertisers are unhappy with Apple's decision. I, however, am thrilled a market leader is pushing back against the insatiable data beast. Here's hoping Apple's approach empowers users to care about data privacy.