Over the past three years, Apple has rolled out many new features to ensure user privacy. One of the biggest privacy features is Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. This gives users control over which apps can track their activity and access their data.
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature makes it easy for Apple users to choose whether or not to allow apps to track their activity. If you choose to opt-out, Apple prevents apps from accessing identifiers that link your device and app activity that are typically shared with advertisers to create targeted ads. Unless you give apps (including Apple apps) explicit permission to track you, you may not be able to target them, including by sharing your location data, advertising ID, or other identifiers with advertisers or third parties. Your data cannot be used for targeted advertising.
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The feature was first announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2020 and then rolled out to users in iOS 14.5 later that year. Since then, Apple has built on these efforts to improve transparency and privacy. In the new iOS 17, Apple changed the ability for users to choose a default search engine when in private browsing mode, giving users the option to choose a search engine other than Google when in a private tab in Safari. . Apple recently previewed features coming in a future iOS update that will make it harder for thieves to access sensitive information on stolen devices.
The impact of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature is far-reaching across the technology industry. The feature drew support from privacy advocates, but was criticized by companies such as Meta, who said the move would hurt their advertising businesses. Meta’s concerns are echoed across social media platforms, with a 2021 study by the Financial Times finding that most Apple users opted out of tracking, resulting in a total loss of 9.85 billion to Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It is estimated that there was a loss of $10,000 in advertising sales.
You can change your ability to be tracked at any time, even if you do not initially opt-out. Here’s how to use the App Tracking Transparency feature:
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How to turn off app tracking for new apps
When you download and open a new app, you’ll see a pop-up notification asking if you want the app to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites. You’ll also see information about what the app tracks.You can tap Ask apps not to track you Block the activity or To give permission.
You can also opt out of app tracking for any apps you download by visiting the following link: Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and switch off Allow apps to request tracking. This means that apps that try to ask for your permission will automatically be blocked and notified that you have requested not to be tracked. Apple says all apps (with the exception of apps that have previously allowed tracking) will be blocked from accessing information on your device used for advertising.
It’s important to note that this does not mean the ads will disappear. This means you’re more likely to see a generic ad rather than a shoe ad once you click on it.
How to turn off app tracking for apps you’ve already downloaded
You can also turn app tracking permissions on or off on a per-app basis.
To do so, please visit Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. You should see a list of apps that have requested to track you. Tap the toggle next to the app you want to stop tracking.
All app developers must ask for tracking permission. If Apple learns that a developer is tracking users who didn’t want to be tracked, the developer must update its tracking methods or risk being rejected from the app store.
Apple believes such privacy features will be a differentiator for its products compared to other tech giants such as Google and Samsung. Cook said that because the company’s business model is not built on selling advertising, it can focus on privacy, calling it a “fundamental human right.”
Still, when you ask an app not to track you, what you’re saying is that you want app developers to have access to your unique identifier (IDFA), which Apple created specifically for advertisers. It is important to keep in mind that there are no. . Denying her access to your iPhone’s IDFA doesn’t stop app developers from tracking you through other means, so it’s important to be careful about the apps you use and how you interact with them.
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