Apple's clever 'gut-punch' to rivals

Apple just delivered a powerful blow to their competitors with one simple feature. Photo / Juha Saarinen

It was a big day for Apple and fans of the tech giant's consumer products.

The company announced a string of new products on Tuesday morning including new desktop computers, new iPads, new laptops and an entirely new Siri-powered home speaker.

There was also one announcement that largely flew under the radar but it's sure to provoke the ire of many while being praised by others, with one Twitter user calling it the "most important announcement Apple made today".

The most important announcement Apple made today was built-in auto-play blockers in Safari. Mark my words.

— Joshua Fruhlinger 🎯 (@fruhlinger) June 6, 2017

Apple is bringing an auto-play-video-blocking feature to its new Safari internet browser to be rolled out with its upcoming macOS High Sierra desktop operating system.

Not only that, but the update will also feature a new security measure that stops ad tracking technology from seeing where you go when browsing you're online.

While the Safari update might be welcomed by some consumers it could have an impact on Apple competitors like Google and Facebook and publishers who generate revenue from autoplay video.

This was a feature that was largely pushed into mainstream existence by the likes of Facebook and Google (owner of YouTube), which dominate online advertising. According to former Google design ethicist, Tristan Harris, as platforms like Facebook and YouTube compete for time spent on site, auto play on videos has become a crucial part of their model.

"A huge portion of traffic on these websites is driven by autoplaying the next thing," he wrote in a recent essay about the tactics tech company's use to hold your attention.
Apple's decision has been criticised for effectively disarming a considerable weapon employed by its competitors.

Apple: "Safari update will let you stop auto play videos."

Advertisers/Content creators: pic.twitter.com/5ozgz8IP7G

— Nick (@NickAsolas) June 5, 2017

And with the disabling of ad tracking technology on top of that, Apple is seen as taking a huge swipe at the search engine giant.

"SHOTS FIRED!" wrote one Twitter user.

Meanwhile another referred to the auto-play-video-blocking feature as a "gut-punch" for publishers.