No, you misunderstand iBeacon. The sole purpose of iBeacon is to let handsets detect it, not the other way around.
In order to for it to be used to track users, the user would have to run an app that detects the beacon and then communicates back to the business. In other words, the user has to opt in to tracking.
> No, you misunderstand iBeacon. The sole purpose of iBeacon is to let handsets detect it, not the other way around.
You are wrong, the point of iBeacon is to allow an app to track its position.
Apple is not about privacy, they're about controlling what they consider to be their customers. They will be the gateway the users go through for any service whatsoever. They get their 30% no matter what.
The big difference is opting in and consent. That’s what’s important. Also, yeah, Apple get their 30% – but only if apps actually cost anything. Those store apps usually don’t cost anything (the stores want to sell the stuff in the stores, not apps) so they will cost Apple money, not make Apple money.
I don’t really get where you see the incentive for Apple to do this, besides privacy.
You are confusing geolocation with tracking. Geolocation merely lets the handset determine where it is. "Tracking" implies there is another party involved in monitoring your location. That can't happen with beacons unless the user runs an app that communicates your location back to a third party -- which it could do with regular old GPS geolocation too. iBeacons are just another way to do geolocation.
Also, iBeacon broadcasts can be detected by Android, or any other platform that wants to. I'm surprised no one has said this on the thread. It's clearly not about Apple lock-in.
In order to for it to be used to track users, the user would have to run an app that detects the beacon and then communicates back to the business. In other words, the user has to opt in to tracking.