While grassroots tools lead one front of resistance, corporate Apple’s ATT and Google’s Privacy policy shifts from Apple and Google mark another—albeit with more complexity.
In 2021, Apple launched App Tracking Transparency (ATT) Apple’s ATT and Google’s Privacy
A feature requiring apps to obtain explicit permission vietnam phone number list before tracking users across apps and websites. For many, this was a watershed moment in mainstream privacy. Early estimates suggested that more than 75% of users opted out of tracking when given the choice, significantly disrupting the ad tech industry. Meta (formerly Facebook) claimed that ATT cost them over $10 billion in lost ad revenue in 2022 alone.
Meanwhile, Google’s Privacy ignoring brand consistency across channels Sandbox represents a more cautious pivot. Rather than fully eliminating tracking, it proposes new APIs that replace third-party cookies with group-based profiling (like “Topics API”) that keeps individual data on-device. Critics argue this is privacy-washing—offering the veneer of reform while protecting ad-based revenue streams. Supporters see it as a pragmatic compromise.
What’s clear is that privacy has moved from fringe concern to market differentiator
Apple’s branding now centers privacy as a feature, turning resistance into a competitive advantage. Google’s reforms, while arguably weaker, show that even dominant players cannot ignore public pressure and regulatory heat.
But this corporate resistance raises important ecleranagia questions: Is it authentic or opportunistic? Can meaningful reform come from within the same ecosystem that monetizes data? The answers remain contested—but the shift in narrative is undeniable.