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Apple released the App Tracking Transparency feature back in April with the iOS14.5 update, but many people still haven’t heard about it. There are so many new privacy protections being put in place privately and federally that are threatening the flow of user data which companies rely on to target consumers with online ads. How does this App Tracking Transparency feature work and why should you care?
The App Tracking Transparency feature comes into play when an app wants to follow our activities to share information with third parties such as advertisers. At this time, a window will show up on our Apple device to ask for our permission to do so. If we say no, the app must stop monitoring and sharing our data. This means that businesses that typically benefit from passively collecting data are no longer thriving because many users are denying them the ability to collect this data.
So, what are brands doing instead?
Brands are trying every trick up their sleeve to persuade users to surrender data to the brand itself—loyalty programs, sweepstakes, newsletters, quizzes, polls and QR codes. When companies have their own robust databases of consumer information, it makes their online ad campaigns less costly and more effective.
For example, Miller High Life ran an online contest this summer to give away a branded patio set. The lucky winner got a bar, stools and neon signs. The company’s prize was the personal details of almost 40,000 people who signed up, including emails, birthdays and phone numbers.
Large companies like Facebook and Snapchat have already commented that this new app tracking transparency framework is hurting their pocketbook.
What does this mean?
The choice to share personal data is being put back in consumers hands, slowly but surely. What do you think? Have you disabled your “allow apps to request to track” feature on your iPhone?
Here at Rownd, we believe your data is your asset and no one else’s. Want to learn more? Find us over at rownd.io.