Although I’m sure much of the shift in apprehension towards tracking and data collection can be attributed to the “Social Dilemma” effect, it’s great to see more people thinking critically about what many “free” social media apps and services are extracting from their userbase.

It’s certainly been done before, but Apple’s big efforts to offer consumers a little more control of their data couldn’t have come at a better time.

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Indicators Showing Camera/Microphone Use

Will the debate ever truly be settled on whether or not Facebook is eavesdropping on your conversations with coworkers? Or listening to podcasts with you? Well, probably not, but it’s always good to see what app is just a little too careless about leaving your microphone on.

Opting Out of App Tracking

Users are able to opt out of cross-app tracking, and in the future (on a per-app basis), they’ll be able to opt out of interapp tracking.

Offering Private Relay Service

Rounding out some fundamental privacy services, Apple has quietly offered an upgrade to a relay service akin to a VPN. Unfortunately, just like some VPN’s, it’s succeptible to being blocked.

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All of these small, but meaningful features make it much simpler for the average end-user to think consciously about their data and privacy.

Apple is appealing to a growing demographic of ad skeptics, but the real win here is that many other tech providers will need to follow suit to stay competitive.