Apple delays iPhone change intended to prevent Facebook, other apps from targeting ads
Apple has announced that it would delay a planned change to the iPhone operating system which is intended to change the way mobile advertisers like Facebook track users.
Apple said on Thursday September 3rd 2020, that it is working on the need to add more information to its App Store rules as an update to its policies. It added that developers would be given enough time to make necessary adjustment.
Stating its commitment to minimize the rate at which users are being tracked, Apple said on its developer blog, “We are committed to ensuring users can choose whether or not they allow an app to track them.”
“To give developers time to make necessary changes, apps will be required to obtain permission to track users starting early next year,” it added.
Meanwhile in June, Apple disclosed that iPhone users would be given an option that would allow an App they are opening for the first time access an identifier that is connected with a physical device.
It added that users would be given access to opt out of IDFA identifier, used by advertisers to well track individual users of the app.
The change to tracker which would bring about less access to device identifier would majorly impact mobile advertising.
Taking Facebook as an example, since the company has removed individual targeting it has recorded about 50% drop in audience.
The programmatic Media Director at PMG, Justin Scarborough, while speaking about the change in an interview last month, said, “It’s going to look a lot like the consent forms you see on websites now that say, ‘Do you agree to be tracked?”
“And so we know that those adoption rates are pretty low, and we expect that it’s going to be pretty low with mobile as well,” he added.
However, the proposed change by Apple is not meant to be an attack on advertising industry. Rather, it is meant to ensure users’ privacy protections and to promote its own privacy features.
Nonetheless, the change would force ad-supported apps developers to figure out alternative ways to monetize their products.
Speaking about the change, Matt Barash of AdColony, a mobile marketing company, running strategy and business development, said that with the recent Apple guidance, developers and publishers are left with the task of finding out how they possibly could continue with their ad-supported efforts with less data and little or no interruption.
About The Author
