Apple: Emergency announcement for 1.46 billion iPhone users

Apple has issued an emergency warning to 1.46 billion iPhone users, displayed in the middle of the Google Chrome browser.

Apple has been putting up billboards around the world promoting its Safari search app as a “truly private browser.”

The announcement did not mention Google Chrome by name, which is the most downloaded search browser for smartphones, surpassing Safari.

The ad has been spotted in cities such as San Francisco, London and Paris on billboards, public transportation and public buildings.

A warning from Apple to its users

Apple’s ads warn people not to use Google, which has faced repeated controversy over its Chrome browser’s retention of cookies and search information.

“Google revealed earlier this year that it collects your data if you use Google Chrome, even if you use incognito mode,” Jake Moore, global security advisor for cybersecurity firm ESET, told Forbes.

He added: “Personal data is very valuable to companies, and when terms and conditions are so difficult to understand, it may be easier for users to allow companies to collect data at will.”

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a Google spokesperson said the company strives to keep people’s data secure by default and ensure users are able to control when and how their data is used in Chrome.