News digest 17.01.2022
APPLE’S APP TRACKING TRANSPARENCY FAILS TO STOP THIRD-PARTY TRACKING
A new study reveals that Apple’s claims aren’t quite holding up and new app tracking requests aren’t auto-denied. Every connection exposed a user’s IP address.
Data shared with apps included accessibility settings, times users restarted their devices, battery and screen level and other settings. The report suggests is that Apple’s definition of ‘tracking’ appears to be misleading.
SOCIAL COMMERCE IS EXPECTED TO BEAT TRADITIONAL ECOMMERCE BY 2025
The global volume of the social commerce market will reach $1.2 trillion by 2025. By the end of 2021, experts expect an indicator of $492 billion.
The rapid dynamics will be spurred on by "zoomers" and millennials, who will account for 62% of the world's social commerce spending.
APPLE TO INCREASE APP STORE PRICES IN SOME REGIONS
The VAT is upped from 5 to 10% in Bahrain, Ukraine gets a 20% VAT while users in Zimbabwe will have to pay 5% more because of the new digital service tax.
Oman is also introducing a 5% VAT, while The Bahamans and Tajikistan, are seeing lower taxes this year. However, the end price won't change in these App Stores, as Apple is adjusting the developers' cut to offset the changes.
CHINA TO CREATE OWN NFT INDUSTRY BASED ON STATE-BACKED BLOCKCHAIN INFRASTRUCTURE
The BSN-Distributed Digital Certificate does not support crypto-transacted NFTs, and will allow businesses and individuals to build apps and portals to manage tokens.
The new infrastructure has the potential to disrupt the current industry, having already attracted more than 20 partners.
THE REAL ESTATE VALUE IN METAVERSES HAS INCREASED BY 500%
The company Tokens.com spent $2.5 million on a plot in the Decentraland metaverse, Republic Real bought a plot in Sandbox for $4.3 million.
In the near future, the digital market may grow to $1 trillion, according to a report by Grayscale.
EUROPEAN CARRIERS SEEK TO BLOCK APPLE PRIVATE RELAY
Carriers including Vodafone, Telefonica, and T-Mobile have voiced concerns that “Private Relay cuts off networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata”.
Private Relay already won’t be offered in China, Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines.