Find out the week’s top mobile stories from around the world. This week.. 96% of iPhone users have opted out of app tracking since iOS 14.5 launched, China’s internet watchdog finds 33 mobile apps broke data privacy rules, 8 ways mobile messaging can improve business performance for retailers and much more…
96% of iPhone users have opted out of app tracking since iOS 14.5 launched
iMore
Apple’s best that people want privacy has paid off in a big way.
According to new data from app analytics firm Flurry, only 4% of iPhone users in the United States have opted into app tracking since Apple released App Tracking Transparency as part of iOS 14.5. That number goes up a little when considering international users – 11% of users worldwide have allowed apps to track them.
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China’s internet watchdog finds 33 mobile apps broke data privacy rules
Reuters
China’s main internet watchdog has found that 33 mobile phone apps have broken data privacy rules by collecting data without consent, among other issues.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), in a statement published on Saturday on its official website, identified map apps, those used for instant messaging and others with more functions, such as the downloading of emojis.
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8 ways mobile messaging can improve business performance for retailers
The Drum
Mobile marketing never stands still. Thanks to a potent mix of technological innovations and creative app implementation, marketing through mobile keeps evolving, bringing new, compelling ways for businesses to reach their customers. While once mobile marketing was a buzzword for showing ads optimised for mobile, now business messaging gives you one-to-one conversational marketing campaigns, transactional notifications, advanced automated AI tools like chatbots, and 24/7 customer support. Each of these tools lets businesses reach customers directly on their mobiles, for unparalleled intimacy.
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Verizon Business takes Internet of Things Connectivity Global
Verizon
Enterprises can now benefit from Global Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity from Verizon Business for mobile assets in 170 countries worldwide with permanent roaming options in North America and Western Europe all on a single SIM. This global coverage enables organizations to manage a vast array of IoT devices including asset trackers, industrial gateways and sensors via ThingSpace, Verizon’s self-service IoT platform.
Faster, more secure, and more affordable cellular connectivity is paving the way for the tremendous growth of IoT devices. Industry analysts IDC estimate that 150K+ IoT devices will connect every minute by 2025.
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Why cybercriminals looking to steal personal info are using text messages as bait
NBC News
It took just a momentary lapse in judgment for Alyssa Beckwith to fall for the scam.
The text message she received looked legitimate — even expected. After some of her personal information had already been stolen a few years ago, she signed up for text alerts from her bank, Wells Fargo, to confirm each time she made a new purchase. And that step to protect herself, ironically, is what made her such an easy target.
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More than 100 million Americans will use proximity mobile payments in 2021
Insider Intelligence
The pandemic has not only altered consumers’ shopping behaviors, but it’s also changed how they pay for goods and services.
A significant number of people in the US were already using proximity mobile payments regularly before the pandemic—about 72 million in 2019, according to our estimates. As more consumers experimented with different forms of payment in 2020, however, the number of proximity mobile payment users in the US rose by 29.0% year over year to 92.3 million. We expect the user base to surpass 100 million this year and growth to continue steadily through the end of our forecast period in 2025.
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Visa Partners With Fintech Startup Tala To Drive Crypto Adoption In Emerging Markets
Forbes
Today, Visa announced a new partnership with Tala, a digital financial services provider in emerging markets, the goal of which is to provide easier access to cryptocurrencies for underbanked consumers, beginning with USD Coin (USDC), a stablecoin backed by the U.S. dollar and governed by the Centre Consortium. USDC is supported on Ethereum, Algorand, Solana and Stellar blockchains. The collaboration will also involve Circle, one of Centre’s founding members, and the Stellar Development Foundation that oversees the XLM cryptocurrency.
The inevitability of mobile gaming, like it or not
Axios
Activision Blizzard is going bigger than ever on mobile, declaring that the gaming giant behind “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft” wants a mobile game for every one of its franchises.
Why it matters: Much as some PC and console gamers may grumble, mobile gaming exerts a gravitational pull that is tugging the rest of the gaming industry toward it.
“Mobile is the ultimate driver of reach, with almost 3 billion smartphones worldwide,” Activision COO Daniel Alegre told investors.
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Vodafone using Google’s cloud and AI to retain customers
BBC
Vodafone is teaming up with Google to develop a cloud-based data platform to help telcos find new opportunities and improve relationships with customers. Numerous studies have found that telcos are increasingly struggling to find new revenue streams, despite investing heavily into 4G and 5G networks.
The partnership is the latest trend showing a convergence between the telecoms market and Silicon Valley.
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