Apple is absolutely right to try to make iTunes as easy as possible, and they are right to protect their customers’ privacy by not sending along customer data to every vendor.

However, publishers really do need subscriber data. It’s not an evil plot, and it’s not only to do cross-sells and upsells.

Publishers also have to worry about the needs of their customers, and one thing customers want is the ability to access their publications on multiple platforms. They can’t do that if they don’t have the customer data!

For example, let’s say Joe has a Jan. to Dec. print subscription to Krehbiel Weekly. In May, Joe decides that he wants to get access his subscription on his iPad. How is that going to work if the publisher doesn’t know that Joe has an iPad subscription? Joe would have to buy a second, May to April, subscription, which would totally confuse and frustrate him.

Joe is wondering, “Why can’t I get my subscription on my iPad?” The publisher’s response is, “Because Apple won’t share your information with us.”

In trying to be helpful to their customers, Apple is creating a problem for subscribers.

Apple does allow the customer to voluntarily submit his information to the publisher. According to this article (try to look past the annoying headline), about 50% of users actually do that.

Apple needs to back down on this. It’s all well and good to protect customer information when it’s in the customer’s interest, but when it comes to subscriptions, it’s not.