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Apple Delays Ad Anti-Tracking Features Planned for iOS 14 [Updated]
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Even in games full of microtransactions, or news apps with subscriptions, IAP purchase rates are less than 2% on average. Without ads, most developers literally could not keep the lights on.
Indeed. People who want free apps but don't want to leverage their personal value to advertisers to get stuff free are delusional. You either pay up front, or you pay with your data.
I BELIEVE the number was basically zero when someone conducted a study, even as low as $5 per month. Now, part of that is that there are just more free options out there, but Snapchat, Twitter, and TikTok are just as egregious about their data collection.
You don't understand what the IDFA is.
It's just a number. That what the modal allowed the app to share. Many, many developers weren't collecting or selling any information whatsoever (what personal information is Candy Crush going to sell? How many levels you beat? Who cares?) but surfacing the IDFA was a critical part of retargeting and engagement campaigns for other apps (You ordered Starbucks the other day, now there's an offer, let's show a Starbucks ad in this app because Starbucks knows this device thanks to the IDFA).
Without the IDFA, you are effectively invisible in that app to advertisers. That's great, until you see the same ad over and over and over over and over and over. Or how you as a tech dude start seeing ads for tampons because you happen to play HomeScapes.
Re: Facebook — Facebook isn't talking about THEIR eCPMs. They're talking about the eCPMs of the developers that use their Audience Network SDK. Now, their eCPMs are inflated a bit because of how reliable FB is on the IDFA over contextual signals, but feel free to name an iPhone game you love and I'll tell you what SDKs it has integrated.
AppTrackingTransparency is exactly that. Opt-in on a per-app basis, so you can support the developers you trust and deliver ad experiences you don't hate. You can revoke it at any time.
If you're okay with the numbers of apps being reduced overnight because their developers can't make ends meet (less than 2% of iOS users pay for apps, or purchase IAP) then maybe Windows Mobile or Blackberry ecosystems are more your speed?
SO for those interested in getting this feature and have it automatically opt-out for everything on your phone, the current IOS allows that already. Apple's instruction on how change the default from allow to disallow are here:
support.apple.com
Change it now!
Control personalized ads on the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks - Apple Support
Learn how to limit the personalization of ads delivered by Apple on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac, and how to turn off location-based ads delivered by Apple on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.
Change it now!
Good, let free apps that rely on data collection and spying die off. How about making good apps and charging a fair price for them?
Please, educate me then... why not just write good apps and charge a fair price for them instead of data collection/spying? Surely one can make an app, charge a price for it and support themselves via that or supplemented with IAP?
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No it actually does benefit us as users. Only insofar as developers need time to re-engineer their apps. Apple is by no means backing down - they are signalling that this *will* happen. They're just giving developers more time to make the necessary changes.
I am absolutely ok with with that and I don't need to go BB or MS to do so. I am quite happy to pay for apps and do so regularly. Almost all the games on my iPad are paid versions, I would PREFER to pay and have no ads, no tracking.
PS - Apps won't just disappear, they will adapt or fail as in any other marketplace. Do we really need tons of apps that are just mirror copies of others? The only reason there are a thousand word search apps is the spying/data collection ad model. Let them all fail and keep the 6 that charge a fee and survive because the are GOOD apps!
Then why were many caught copying the clipboard every 2 seconds? You cannot possibly speak on behalf of all devs especially bad actors.
I agree, there shouldn't be free apps, except support apps like for your bank or insurance co. etc. The very fact that facebook is predicting a 50% loss is proof that people don't want to be tracked! Unfortunately the average sheep has no idea they are surrounded by wolves.
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You are upset that Apple is delaying the feature until 14.X? You know early next year means 14.2 or 14.3 right?
For FACEBOOK? Let's get real, Tim! FB is not a trustworthy platform and arguably is a detriment to society. I'm OK with them not having PII to track people. They already have enough.
Most people do not buy apps, no matter how good the app is. You can make the best app in the world, spend months and months perfecting it. Charge money for it and there is a 99% chance no one will buy it, and those who do buy the app can't justify the cost of running the app. Apps are not free to make nor free to run. Most developers would be lucky to get 1 / 100th of the sales on paid vs. free.
Read the first part for why "not just write good apps and charge a fair price".
The problem is you think every app is data collection and spying when the vast majority of apps do not have some sales team selling ads and their own ad network being run out of the basement. The majority of the app it self are not selling your data and are not spying on you.
They simple create a spot in the app for a banner ad or have an event for an interstitial ad. Add the Facebook ad network or Google Admob in most cases and those companies fill the space and use the AD it to target ads. It's those companies who may be collecting data to use to target more ads. Just as they are doing as you browse this website and do many other things.
You think its just easy to make an app, charge for it or have a iAP and make a living. It's not possible for the vast majority of apps. If you charge $0.99 for an app, you the developer get $0.70 one time and thats it same goes for a iAP. Or the developer can make the app free, place an ad in it, give you the option of going Ad free in a iAP and have a chance at actually making real, reoccurring money. How much do you think it really costs to support your self today with the cost of living, especially in America. To get. $2000 a month you have to sell your app 3000 times or iAP at 99 cents each. Thats really had to do because the vast majority of people DO NOT BUY APPS. And that does not take the cost of running the app which for some apps, especially web connected apps can be very expensive every month.
If developers can't make money from apps the number of apps on the store will drop significantly.
The apps that are really spying on you are the ones from the big boys that are free and no ads in them.
I switched to IOS from Android specifically for privacy concerns. If Apple is going to bend over to Facebook et al then I might as well go back to Android. I much prefer Android to IOS anyway.
But this change didn't break apps, it just stopped them from tracking users. The apps still worked.
What is there to re-engineer? Are they re-engineering their user-tracking code to find a way around the new restrictions?
Don't misunderstand me—developers need to make money, whether that comes from direct payments or ads. This is why I don't use an ad-blocker. However, Apple isn't banning ads, and if your business model revolves around gathering data on users who did not knowingly (!) consent to giving away that data, there's something very wrong with your business model in the first place.
@dlewis23 First let me start by saying thanks for your responses, I don't agree with some parts and I don't appreciate being told what I do and no not know/understand but I appreciate the conversation.
Most people do not buy apps because the ad model exists and supports free apps. If it went away, because clearly no one wants to be tracked, then people would be forced to choose apps carefully, pay for them and devs would have a much more engaged community.
I have heard more than one dev complain that they can make a great app and 2 days later it is cloned by a Chinese company and posted free. IMHO if the free, ad supported, model goes away so does most cloning.
No I don't but, I have seen a number of apps that act in odd ways such as wanting to know my location. Why would a simple/stupid free game want my location? Why are they copying my clipboard every 2 seconds?
Again, not true, don't be so presuming! I have coded professionally, though not in MANY years and not in this model but I know what it is to agonize over one's own code. Things are what they are today but I do not find any app store's value to be in the raw number of apps but in the quality of those apps. When you have 1000 word search apps which are near carbon copies of each other that does not benefit the community, it only feeds ad networks. If we only had 6 REALLY good, pay for, word search games that all offered unique differences THAT makes for a healthy community.
Most people do not buy apps because the ad model exists and supports free apps. If it went away, because clearly no one wants to be tracked, then people would be forced to choose apps carefully, pay for them and devs would have a much more engaged community.
I have heard more than one dev complain that they can make a great app and 2 days later it is cloned by a Chinese company and posted free. IMHO if the free, ad supported, model goes away so does most cloning.
No I don't but, I have seen a number of apps that act in odd ways such as wanting to know my location. Why would a simple/stupid free game want my location? Why are they copying my clipboard every 2 seconds?
Again, not true, don't be so presuming! I have coded professionally, though not in MANY years and not in this model but I know what it is to agonize over one's own code. Things are what they are today but I do not find any app store's value to be in the raw number of apps but in the quality of those apps. When you have 1000 word search apps which are near carbon copies of each other that does not benefit the community, it only feeds ad networks. If we only had 6 REALLY good, pay for, word search games that all offered unique differences THAT makes for a healthy community.
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So they are delaying so companies can find ways around the walls they are planning on building.
Remember this next time Tim Cook/Apple do their usual Corporate song and dance about Privacy. It's all PR.
Remember this next time Tim Cook/Apple do their usual Corporate song and dance about Privacy. It's all PR.
If not for privacy and security, why should I spend money for an iPhone or an Apple device.???
better leave Apple and show that customer is the king, not the capitalists.
better leave Apple and show that customer is the king, not the capitalists.
Absolutely, android has your back and there are devices a plenty for sale.
It’s happening, relax. SJ wasn’t infallibl and you don’t know what he would have done here.
Apple of today certainly has no problem forcing things through.
Sounds like some shady deal was made in secret, giving fb time to adapt
Not sure about iOS now, but on android you can opt out of these advertisements entirely. Instructions are here:
How to reset your Advertising ID on Android devices - gHacks Tech News
Reset advertising ID on Android in 4 easy steps: Find out how to change the ads identifier and limit tracking on Android smartphones. Click here.
www.ghacks.net