CES 2019: Apple takes a jab at rivals with billboard — VIDEO | CES 2021 | Business

An Apple advertisement on the south side of SpringHill Suites is easily visible from the CES 2019 tech show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal

Visitors walk past Google's promotional space outside the Las Vegas Convention Center on the eve of opening day of CES 2019 on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Las Vegas. The four day tech event brings over 4,500 vendors and 180,000 attendees, and is the largest annual show in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal

The sidewalks of the Las Vegas Convention Center are packed for CES 2019 on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Las Vegas. The four day tech event brings over 4,500 vendors and 180,000 attendees, and is the largest annual show in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal

Visitors walk past an Apple advertisement on the south side of SpringHill Suites that is easily visible from the CES 2019 tech show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Las Vegas. The four day tech event brings over 4,500 vendors and 180,000 attendees, and is the largest annual show in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal

Visitors explore the grounds of tech company APIX outside the Las Vegas Convention Center on the eve of opening day of CES 2019 on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Las Vegas. The four day tech event brings over 4,500 vendors and 180,000 attendees, and is the largest annual show in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal

Hey Google, Apple is taking a jab at you. The maker of mobile phones and laptops is adding a twist to Las Vegas’ famous slogan during CES to highlight its privacy regulations.

A large billboard across the street from Google’s outdoor pavilion at the Las Vegas Convention Center reads, “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone,” referencing controversies tied to data protection at Google, Facebook and other industry peers.

Apple does not have an official presence at the show, which runs Tuesday through Friday, but its products are in at least 13 booths, according to the CES website.

More than 180,000 attendees are expected to attend Las Vegas’ largest annual convention.

#Apple takes out big ad and uses twist on Vegas slogan to take swipe at other social media companies at #CES2019. “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone” sign above Google’s large outdoor pavilion. #cesblog pic.twitter.com/gnrOJahxBy

— Todd Prince (@toddprincetv) January 7, 2019

Data privacy and protection is an important theme this year at CES, which bills itself as the largest technology trade show in the world.

Data is the oil that greases artificial intelligence, the technology behind many of the products at the show. Speakers at a panel on autonomous vehicles Monday highlighted privacy concerns as one of the issues the auto sector has to deal with as it transitions to smart cars.

Facebook and Google use consumer data to better target advertisements, which accounts for a huge part of their revenue. That usage has come under greater scrutiny after reports of misuse last year.

Google executives said at a Senate hearing in September that the company had “made mistakes” with privacy.

Facebook confirmed Cambridge Analytica used its platform to collect data on as many as 87 million users, promoting more calls for regulation of social media sites.

When asked about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Apple CEO Tim Cook said his company would never have gotten itself into such a problem.

“The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer — if our customer was our product. We’ve elected not to do that,” Cook told MSNBC last March.

Contact Todd Prince at 702-383-0386 or tprince@reviewjournal.com. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.