Google’s iPhone apps such as Maps and YouTube will stop using an iPhone privacy tool from Apple that allows them to personalize ads, avoiding a new Apple warning that informs users their browsing is being tracked.
Google’s announcement Wednesday in a blog post by the Alphabet Inc. unit comes shortly before Apple is expected to start enforcing new tracking transparency rules.
Apple for years has supplied apps with a unique identifier, known as IDFA, to help them link the same user across multiple programs. The code can be essential in determining to whom to show an ad and tracking whether it prompted them to make a purchase.
But Apple has said “early” this year it will require that apps show users a one-time pop-up message to gain their consent to access their IDFA.
Facebook Inc and other app makers are concerned the warning may discourage users from opting in and cripple ad sales.
As users of Google’s apps are typically logged in, it has a tracking alternative to IDFA and as such its core ad business would likely not be affected by Apple’s changes.
But it warned in its blog post that publishers and advertisers that rely on its mobile ad software will experience weaker results without IDFA access.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy will require developers to ask for permission when they use personal data from other companies’ apps and websites for advertising purposes. This iPhone privacy policy seems entirely reasonable to us.
As we wrote back in September 2015: People who value privacy and security use Apple products.
Privacy means people know what they’re signing up for, in plain English, and repeatedly. I’m an optimist; I believe people are smart, and some people want to share more data than other people do. Ask them. Ask them every time. Make them tell you to stop asking them if they get tired of your asking them. Let them know precisely what you’re going to do with their data. — Steve Jobs, June 2010
The more people are educated about unchecked data collection and the more who value their privacy, the better Apple’s sales will be. Today, it’s literally Apple against the world. — MacDailyNews, July 14, 2017
Smart people who are concerned with protecting their privacy use Apple products. Certainly not Google and/or Facebook. — MacDailyNews, September 26, 2018
“Do NO EViL” is so last decade.
Tim & Apple….please continue to make security and privacy one of the Company’s moats.
This will be worth billions as governmental “listening in” continues to be seen as commonplace and “necessary.”
Seconding MDN’s take here.
Apple; for the safety of our country and protecting ourselves from domestic terrorists, like Libertarians, please halt the (cute) security/privacy measures.
” The code can be essential in determining to whom to show an ad and tracking whether it prompted them to make a purchase.”
I’ve NEVER bought a single thing on my iOS devices since I had the iPhone 4s. How long will it take for these trackers to say he’s not going to buy anything, lets ignore him?