As mobile marketing continues to evolve, Apple is taking a significant step towards giving users more control over their personal data. Starting with iOS 14, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV app developers will need to request permission from users to collect their random advertising identifier (IDFA), also known as the "Identifier for Advertisers". This change is part of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, which aims to provide users with transparency and control over how their data is used.
In response to this update, Google has announced that it will stop collecting IDFAs for its iOS apps that currently use them for advertising purposes. This move means that Google won't need to display the tracking permission prompt in its iOS apps once Apple's new policy takes effect. However, app developers may still see a significant impact on their Google ad revenue on iOS due to reduced visibility into key metrics and changes in how advertisers value and bid on ad impressions.
To help mitigate this impact, Google encourages developers to upgrade to version 7.64 of the Google Mobile Ads SDK for new features like SKAdNetwork support. The company also provides a support document with more information on how developers can prepare for the update.
In addition to the ATT policy, Apple has also required developers to fill out a privacy label when submitting new apps and app updates to the App Store since December 8. Google has ensured that its iOS apps will be updated with privacy label information as necessary when introducing new features or bug fixes. While many of Google's prominent iOS apps have yet to display this information, including the main Google app, YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, and others.
Facebook has criticized Apple's new policy, claiming it will hurt small businesses that benefit from personalized advertising. In response, Apple emphasizes that users deserve transparency and control over their personal data. "We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users," said Apple. "Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not."
As mobile marketing continues to evolve, it's clear that transparency and control are becoming increasingly important for users. As marketers adapt to these changes, it will be interesting to see how they balance personalization with user privacy in their mobile marketing strategies.