We’re as guilty as any other publication in citing app usage data from data shops like SensorTower and SimilarWeb — it’s useful to rely on some data from a neutral source when talking about app and platform usage — but John Gruber dives into how that data is actually collected. And... maybe it’s not great!
So, I see three ways Sensor Tower collects usage information for apps and websites that aren’t their own: (1) ad-blocking web browser extensions, (2) screen-time monitoring apps for Android and iOS, which on iOS requires access to Screen Time, and (3) the Adblock Luna VPN. (Perhaps I’m underestimating how much data they can collect from users who play Melody Run.)
I am really thinking about this, however:
The user base for these apps must be comprised largely of technically naive, uninformed users. [...] So who is left? The ignorant but brazen. Perhaps such people’s web and app usage really is representative of the public at large. But there’s no way to know.
Most people are technically naive! In fact, computer literacy is getting worse for Gen Z in various ways. So it is possible that this data is being collected with icky methods, but still actually representative of what’s going on. I don’t know — but it would be good if there was some actual way to check it.
[Daring Fireball]
