Apple has once again taken a shot at Google with a giant billboard next to its rival’s smart neighbourhood reading ‘we’re in the business of staying out of yours’.
The firm placed the advert, which also says ‘Privacy. That’s iPhone’, next to Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, Canada.
It is not the first time the firm has made thinly-veiled dig at its rivals, with a similar billboard appearing at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year.
This one read ‘What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone’.
Sidewalk Labs hope to revitalise a run-down stretch of Toronto’s waterfront, with self-driving taxis, pavements that automatically melt away snow and traffic lights that track pedestrian movements.
The development would collect huge amounts of data on various aspects of city life, such as air quality and the frequency of park bench usage, in order to make the area more liveable and has drawn widespread criticism.
Apple has taunted Google again by erecting a giant billboard next to their controversial smart neighbourhood (pictured) in Toronto. The development has been hit with a lawsuit by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, who want the project halted over concerns of ‘surveillance capitalism’
But the plans have been hit with resistance, including a lawsuit by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, who want the project halted over concerns of ‘surveillance capitalism’.
The iPhone advert, which was spotted by CTV News Toronto, is a clear dig at the firm over privacy concerns. It is not known when the billboard went up.
Earlier this year, Apple took a dig at other tech firms with a billboard overlooking the Las Vegas Convention Centre, where the Consumer Electronics Show is held.
The billboard played on the iconic slogan ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’, reading: ‘What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone’.
Next to the slogan was an outline of an iPhone XS and the web address of Apple’s privacy page.
Google experienced a privacy flaw in November that exposed the names, email addresses, ages and other personal information of 52.5 million Google Plus users.
Trade magazine c’t reported that Amazon accidentally sent the archive of a man’s recordings on Alexa to another user.
On the other hand, Apple has rarely had to deal with a privacy-related issues and its privacy page explains how all personal data does not leave users’ devices.
Earlier this year, Apple took a dig at other tech firms with a billboard overlooking the Las Vegas Convention Centre, where the Consumer Electronics Show is held. It read: ‘What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone. apple.com/privacy’
A smart city development (artist’s impression) planned on Toronto’s run-down waterfront is being threatened by fears that data collected by the city’s systems could be sold on
Leaked documents have suggested that Sidewalk Labs are considering expanding the extent of their smart city district (pictured, in an artist’s impression) in return for an increase in the development’s profits
Sidewalk Labs won a bin to be part of the development of Toronto’s waterside Port Lands area back in late 2017. The plan is to revitalise a run-down stretch the waterfront, crafting it into the most technologically advanced and data-driven district in any of the world’s cities
Residents of Toronto started the #BlockSidewalk movement in reaction to the opaqueness of Google-stablemate Sidewalk Labs planning to date.
Leaked documents suggest that Sidewalk Labs is considering expanding the extent of their smart city district in return for an increase in the development’s profits.
This public backlash follows a recent lawsuit by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, who want the project halted over concerns of ‘surveillance capitalism’.
Quayside would harbour all kinds of futuristic conveniences, according to plans, with self-driving taxis, automated waste collection, traffic lights that track pedestrian movements and pavements that automatically melt away snowfall.
Extensive monitoring would feed back information on various aspects of city life — from air quality to the frequency of park bench usage — in order to further develop the neighbourhood and make it more liveable.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and officials from Sidewalk Labs gathered 18 months ago to announce the project, amid much fanfare.
However, resistance to the project is growing in the form of a public campaign, a lawsuit and a prominent resignation — with the firm having failed to assuage concerns it will not abuse data gathered by the smart city.