50% of iPad Magazine Subscribers Allow Apple to Pass Info to Publishers

Publishers had previously argued that the lack of subscriber information from iPad subscriptions was even a bigger hurdle than the 30% revenue share. Instead of automatically sharing the data, Apple asks individual subscribers to opt in. As it turns out, up to 50% of users agree.

It turns out that the publishers’ fear that Apple’s policies would deny them the consumer data they need to do business was unfounded. As often as not, to get the customer’s email’s name and email address, all you have to do is ask. Initially, publishers were worried, reasonably enough, that users would overwhelmingly say no. But they don't. In fact, about 50 percent opt in.

The reason given in the report is that consumers trust the App Store. But we believe that people just push the first button they see, to skip all of the crap, to get to the content they just bought.