{"id":18946,"date":"2021-02-09T12:21:03","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T19:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=18946"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:25:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:25:25","slug":"how-apples-new-ios14-policy-changes-may-affect-your-marketing-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/how-apples-new-ios14-policy-changes-may-affect-your-marketing-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"How Apple\u2019s New iOS Policy Changes May Affect Your Marketing Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple Change Policy Details Impacting Mobile Ads<\/h2>\n

In June, Apple announced product and policy changes that will impact data sharing across iOS and Apple device users. The proposed changes will significantly impact the way marketers and advertisers can run ads, measure performance, and engage their customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although these changes will have the most impact on mobile app advertisers, these new policies may also force many online advertising platforms to adjust some of their best practices and tools available for online marketers. These changes are expected to impact the overall ecosystem of the free internet and how businesses grow online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apple announced three policies to take effect as soon as the end of January 2021. Apple believes apps in their App Store should be held to a high standard for privacy, security, and content because nothing is more important than maintaining users\u2019 trust. With this in mind, Apple is applying the following policies to the iOS14 update to support their \u201cIncreased Privacy for People\u201d approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Data Nutrition Label<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

This will require all Apple Store apps to submit information about their app\u2019s privacy and data collection practices via Apple\u2019s App Store Connect. <\/span>Apps will soon be required to include specifics on any third-party coding used for data tracking and collection, as well as reveal where and how that user data is shared and used for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tracking via App\/Browser APIs<\/span><\/h3>\n

Facebook and other platforms will need to use a new framework that restricts, aggregates, and delays event reporting. This limited measurement solution, also known as SKAdNetwork API, will need to be implemented for mobile app and app-based business tools. The new Apple API validates advertiser-driven app installations while maintaining this new level of privacy for the user.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s AppTracking Transparency Prompt & Framework (ATT)<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

This framework will now require Apple Store apps to request permission to access the device\u2019s advertising identifier, track users, and collect data across third-party apps and websites. The user will soon have to provide prior authorization to access app-related data from their device. <\/span><\/p>\n

This authorization request is presented to the user with a prompt, allowing them to either select to opt-in or opt-out of being tracked by that particular app. The prompt also provides the app’s tracking authorization status and an explanation from the app as to why the user is being tracked and how their data will be used. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Unless you receive permission from the user to enable tracking, the device\u2019s advertising identifier value will report as zero. The app will not be able to track that user as stated in Apple\u2019s Privacy Policy. <\/span>Tracking<\/span> used for analytics across apps from the same content provider will not be affected by Apple\u2019s new prompt. However, these restrictions apply when data is collected and shared with other data for cross-domain tracking unless that user otherwise grants permission. Any app that does not adopt this prompt will be removed from Apple\u2019s App Store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s goal is for their App Store to help users understand an app\u2019s privacy practices before they download an app and grant access to their IDFA. IDFA refers to Apple\u2019s \u201cIdentifier for Advertisers,\u201d a random device identifier ID assigned by Apple to a user’s device. Advertisers use this to track data so they can deliver customized advertising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The IDFA is used to track and identify a user without revealing personal information about that user. Like the Android Advertising Identifier (AAID), the IDFA is often used in tandem with cookies on a computer web browser to create rich and accurate user analytics used for informed ad targeting across multiple advertising platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also referred to as Mobile Advertising Identifiers (MAID), these user identifiers also allow advertising platforms the ability to enforce frequency capping, attribute app installs and conversion events to ad platforms, measure campaign performance, provide accurate ways to target potential customers, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the release of iOS 14, Apple is changing how app developers can access the IDFA from an opt-out approach to an opt-in approach. This is a significant change from how IDFA sharing worked in earlier versions of iOS, wherein the user has to manually opt-out of sharing his or her IDFA. Before the update, IDFAs were available for most users, unless a user were to manually change this in their device settings. With iOS 14, we expect to see very few users choose to opt-in when given the option to up-front at the time of app install. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"subheader-important-info\"<\/h2>\n

Why it is Important; What Should Advertisers Expect to See<\/h2>\n

Obviously, Apple\u2019s policy changes do not affect all users, devices, or data the same way. For example, any user data coming from an android device or web browser computer may not be subject to the same data limitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Apple\u2019s policy updates will change advertising processes and best practices across many online advertising platforms and impact the online marketing community’s overall landscape. These data collection process changes are likely to impact overall campaign structure and set up processes, conversion tracking, Facebook pixel configuration, ad targeting, ad optimization, performance measurement, and attribution windows, as well as performance reporting tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Advertisers are likely to have access to a small fraction of the previous IDFAs available for data collection for Apple device users as a result. <\/span>Despite Apple\u2019s efforts to ensure quality privacy for their device users, Apple’s policy changes may significantly limit marketing efforts across many third-party marketing platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these limitations may affect the ability to effectively reach, understand, and engage people on mobile devices and across the web in personalized ads. Additional limitations may also include:<\/span><\/p>\n