Ad Firms Hit Hard by Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention Feature in Safari

[MacRumors]

Internet ad firms are losing out on "hundreds of millions of dollars" following the implementation of anti-tracking features introduced to Safari with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, reports The Guardian.

One of the largest advertising firms, Criteo, announced in December that Intelligent Tracking Prevention could have a 22 percent net negative impact on its 2018 revenue projections. Other advertising firms could see similar losses, according to Dennis Buchheim of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

"We expect a range of companies are facing similar negative impacts from Apple's Safari tracking changes. Moreover, we anticipate that Apple will retain ITP and evolve it over time as they see fit," Buchheim told the Guardian.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention techniques were introduced in iOS 11 and in Safari 11 in macOS High Sierra 10.13, both of which were released back in September. Intelligent Tracking Prevention is designed to stop companies from invasively tracking customer web browsing habits across websites. Intelligent Tracking Prevention does not block ads -- it simply prevents websites from being able to track users' browsing habits without their permission.

Shortly after the launch of the two new operating systems, advertising groups asked Apple to "rethink" its position and its decision to block cross-site tracking, arguing that Apple would "sabotage the economic model for the internet."

An open letter signed by the Data and Marketing Association and the Network Advertising Initiative said the collective digital advertising community was "deeply concerned" because Apple's cross-site tracking prevention is "bad for consumer choice." "Blocking cookies in this manner will drive a wedge between brands and their customers, and it will make advertising more generic and less timely and useful," read the letter.

In response, Apple defended cross-site tracking and said its customers "have a right to privacy." From Apple in September:

Ad tracking technology has become so pervasive that it is possible for ad tracking companies to recreate the majority of a person's web browsing history. This information is collected without permission and is used for ad re-targeting, which is how ads follow people around the Internet. The new Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature detects and eliminates cookies and other data used for this cross-site tracking, which means it helps keep a person's browsing private.

There was initially an Intelligent Tracking Prevention workaround that companies like Criteo were using following the launch of iOS 11, but as mentioned in Criteo's announcement, Apple closed that loophole with the introduction of iOS 11.2.

Ad company Criteo says that it is working to circumvent Intelligent Tracking Prevention with an "alternative sustainable solution for the long term" that will align the interests of Apple users, publishers, and advertisers, but it's unclear whether Apple and its customers will find any cross-site tracking feature to be acceptable.

Apple customers who are running iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra can double check to make sure Intelligent Tracking Prevention is enabled on their devices.

In iOS 11, the toggle to disable cross-site tracking can be accessed by going to Settings --> Safari --> Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. With macOS High Sierra, the feature can be activated by going to the Preferences section of the Safari app, choosing Privacy, and then checking "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."

Article Link: Ad Firms Hit Hard by Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention Feature in Safari

 

[jonblatho]

Where’s my violin?

 

[Deacon-Blues]

Good. The degree to which people have been tracked has been out of control for a while now. I understand the importance of advertising, but the tracking and spying has gone too far.

 

[Yaemon]

And this is another great reason to love the Apple eco-system.

 

[Hiran]

ITP is bad for consumer choice? GTFO!

 

[iapplelove]

I think more should take a page out of Apples book when it comes to this regard.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Somehow ad firms made money before they could track our every movement.

Maybe look into that Criteo.

 

[jdillings]

The best new feature in iOS 11

 

[B60boy]

Good! That is why I'm all in the Apple Ecosystem...

 

[rafark]

People want free content with no ads. That's not how it works. I want to see if people are so happy when half the internet is paywall (pay to view) content...

 

[macsba]

Thumbs up for Apple.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Way to go Apple. I am glad that advertisers are losing money because of Apple users like me.

 

[MrNomNoms]

Good. The degree to which people have been tracked has been out of control for a while now. I understand the importance of advertising, but the tracking and spying has gone too far.

Personally I wouldn't mind if the tracking actually resulted in ads that were remotely useful but even with all the information I voluntarily give up it appears that advertisement networks still can't provide me with relevant ads which makes me wonder what they're using the information for. I'm an openly gay male on my Facebook profile so why keep showing me advertisements for single women? YouTube is even worse, "oh, I see you watched on video of a particular genre, lets fill up your home screen with every conceivable video on YouTube from that genre" as if a once off video denotes an interest in that genre overall.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

These are the kinds of things (and their push back on efforts to weaken encryption) that keep me very happy with Apple. Way to go Apple!

 

[jonblatho]

People want free content with no ads. That's not how it works. I want to see if people are so happy when half the internet is paywall (pay to view) content...

Sounds fine to me. I’d much rather give my money directly to a small subset of content creators I really enjoy instead of having Google throw them some table scraps at the expense of our privacy.

 

[mmomega]

I am even fine with an advertisement.
But when it is in the form of pop-ups or jumping in my way to make me look for the super tiny X to try and close it to continue reading a site or when3/4 of the site is advertisements. I will just find somewhere else to go.

If I go to a site and a pop-up - pops up. Close the window and find somewhere else to go, never to return again.

 

[Deacon-Blues]

People want free content with no ads. That's not how it works. I want to see if people are so happy when half the internet is paywall (pay to view) content...

I don’t object to seeing ads. I do object to companies tracking my every movement on the internet and building a secret profile of me to use and sell. Deacon-Blues disapproves.

 

[npmacuser5]

They have abused a privilege granted to them. Businesses behaving badly results, being regulated in one way or another. Good for Apple.

 

[rafark]

Sounds fine to me. I’d much rather give my money directly to a small subset of content creators I really enjoy instead of having Google throw them some table scraps at the expense of our privacy.

It sounds great for one site, I mean, we love MacRumors right? $5 a month sounds ok. ...Not quite when we start adding more and more websites to the bill. Without ads we would not have the amazing freedom the internet offers today.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

The fact that something like this and other negative, damaging even dangerous aspects of the internet haven't deterred the public from using it speaks in volumes as to just how addictive and... dangerous it is.

 

[gixxerfool]

“You stop going for the easy buck and produce something with your life. Create instead of living off the buying and selling of others.”

-Carl Fox

 

[jonblatho]

It sounds great for one site, I mean, we love MacRumors right? $5 a month sounds ok. ...Not quite when we start adding more and more websites to the bill. Without ads we would not have the amazing freedom the internet offers today.

I personally think there’ll eventually be some service where you sign up to pay a small fee per article view (after you accept to read beyond a preview) to a single company and they split that revenue among partner sites you access according to frequency and perhaps different fee levels for different sites.
[doublepost=1515540697][/doublepost]Want to add that I don’t think all ads are bad. Invading users’ privacy is bad. Unfortunately, the two are mostly synonymous these days.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

I got so sick of over zealous advertising and tracking I bought 1Blocker for all my devices last week. Wow how its speeded up my Safari. I am happy for adverts, I realise we have all got to eat. On sites like this where I can see an advert on the page thats great. Chances are it might be a service or product I may like (related to Apple on an Apple site). I just wish advertisers had not been so zealous.

 

[Defthand]

Bravo, Apple. Bravo.

While I believe the Internet should be regarded as a public space rather than a commercially-controlled one, I don’t see how a vendor is entitled to surveil me and eavesdrop on my interactions with others. Imagine if someone from a marketing firm, whose client is Target, followed you around Walmart to see what you put in your cart.

 

[deferredAnon]

How does Apple stop companies from tracking you with your IP address?