Apple's iOS 18 Privacy Changes Could Be a "Catastrophic" Blow to Social Apps

Apple's iOS 18 Privacy Changes Could Be a "Catastrophic" Blow to Social AppsThe New York Times published a blog post yesterday (October 2nd) reporting that privacy changes in Apple's iOS 18 system could have a "catastrophic" impact on social apps. Apple has further refined permission management in iOS 18, clarifying how apps can access a user's contact list

Apple's iOS 18 Privacy Changes Could Be a "Catastrophic" Blow to Social Apps

The New York Times published a blog post yesterday (October 2nd) reporting that privacy changes in Apple's iOS 18 system could have a "catastrophic" impact on social apps. Apple has further refined permission management in iOS 18, clarifying how apps can access a user's contact list.

Previously, when apps like Instagram or WhatsApp requested access to your contacts, users could only choose to grant or deny access, with no other options. In iOS 18, Apple has further refined contact permissions, allowing users to precisely select which contacts they are willing to share if an app requests access to their contacts after an update. Apple believes this change helps user privacy, avoiding the "all or nothing" choice when sharing contacts.

However, this change has sparked concerns among some app developers who rely on contact sharing, as they believe it will negatively impact their rapid growth and competitive ability. Social apps need to quickly connect new users with their friends to improve user retention. For example, Facebook found early on that the number of friends users added was correlated with their retention rate. Some startups report a significant decline in contact sharing since the implementation of iOS 18, with a 25% increase in users sharing 10 or fewer contacts.

Developers point out that iOS 18 changes do not apply to Apple's own services like iMessage, claiming it is an anti-competitive practice. With the reduction in contact sharing, friend-based social apps might be replaced by content-driven ones like TikTok.

This change has sparked conversations about the balance between user privacy and app functionality. Apple states that this change aims to protect user privacy, but social app developers argue that it restricts their ability to connect with users. Ultimately, the balance between user privacy and app functionality will depend on negotiations between Apple and app developers, as well as users' emphasis on privacy.