Concerns raised over the new ‘Sign in with Apple’ feature

At WWDC 2019, one of the new features introduced as part of iOS 13 is a privacy tool called “Sign in with Apple.” Like what Google and Facebook offer, you will be able to sign into third-party apps using your Apple account now. Unlike what the two tech companies offer, Apple will give you the option to share or hide your email address from the developer. If you choose to hide your email address, Apple will generate a single-use email address for you to use within the app. Any emails from the developer will be forwarded to you by Apple. Now, if you decide to deactivate to opt out of emails, the single-use email address can be deactivated. And as 9to5Mac points out, since Apple already knows what apps you’re using, so you aren’t passing on new information to anyone new.

It’s great for consumers, but it might make its developers a bit wary. A condition for the Sign in with Apple feature is that developers who offer other third-party sign-in (like those offered by Google and Facebook) will need to offer Apple’s version, too. And they would need to place Apple’s option before its rivals’. While the latter isn’t a formal requirement to get approval, a lot of developers believe one way to get approved on the App Store is to follow these “suggestions.” And with Apple currently under scrutiny for alleged anti-competitive practices, these do raise some questions. Once this feature does roll out, is it something you’ll find yourself using?