Apple leverages ‘Ted Lasso’ and in-store classes to teach the importance of iPhone privacy

Apple has launched a new round of privacy initiatives that aim to educate and inform people about how they can better protect their personal data. The new salvo of initiatives is being launched to coincide with Data Privacy Day, which is this Saturday, January 28.

Apple’s first new privacy initiative is its most entertaining. The company is leveraging the popularity of the Apple TV Plus hit Ted Lasso to inform users about the privacy features built into their iPhones. The company has released a short film called A Day in the Life of an Average Person’s Data, starring Ted Lasso alum Nick Mohammed.

The humorous film takes viewers through a range of iPhone privacy features, including Mail Privacy Protection, Apple Tracking Transparency, and more. Besides starring Mohammed, the film also stars an Apple Specialist who is an actual Apple employee at the company’s Tower Theater store in Los Angeles. Jonathan Krisel, the co-creator and co-head writer of the hit show Portlandia, directs the film.

Another new educational privacy initiative that Apple has launched is its first-ever privacy class, which users can attend at their local Apple Store, allowing them to go hands-on with the privacy features on their iPhone.

During the session, attendees will be guided through various privacy features of the iPhone by an Apple instructor. The in-person session is great for those who are seeking better data privacy and find a hands-on experience to be a more beneficial learning atmosphere for them. These ongoing 30-minute privacy classes will be available at all Apple Stores globally beginning Saturday, January 28. You can register for the class here.

Apple’s new educational privacy initiatives come on the heels of what is arguably its most significant privacy feature in years. In December, it rolled out Advanced Data Protection to all U.S. users, which allows them to choose whether they want nearly all of their iCloud data to be end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one but the owner—not even Apple—can access the majority of their iCloud data. And with the release of iOS 16.3 this week, Apple rolled out Advanced Data Protection to more users across the globe.

You can check out Apple’s new privacy film below.