How are app developers encouraging users to consent to tracking?

Apple permits app developers to explain the benefits of tracking to users. Businesses have found ways to convince users, for instance, by suggesting personalised ads help keep an app free or save users money.

General

New report says increasing number of iOS users seeing the value in being tracked

By Maria Santos

2 min readApr 15, 20227:42 AM

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With last year’s iOS 14.5 came Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature that asks people whether they would like to be tracked by apps. Companies like Facebook which rely on this sort of tracking to serve personalized ads vehemently criticized the Cupertino giant for introducing this feature, but it’s not all doom and gloom, suggests a new report.

Apple assigns a random device identifier called Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) to devices like iPhones and iPads that let app makers track user activity across apps for targeted advertising. IDFA has now been made an opt-in feature, meaning users will have to consent to being tracked.

Facebook has been a vocal critic of the feature and a recent report estimates that the company could lose $12.8 billion in revenue this year because of ATT. Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube are also expected to be impacted, though they are projected to take smaller hits.

The situation looks to be improving, per analytics platform Adjust. In May 2021, 16 percent of the users had opted-in to being tracked, and the number has now grown to 25 percent. The study is based on the 2,000 most popular apps in the firm’s database.

The stats are even more promising for gaming apps, with an estimated 30 percent of users allowing businesses to track their activities for personalized ads. For some popular games, opt-in rates were as high as 75 percent.

The outlet notes that a month after the launch of the ATT feature, only 4 percent of the users in the US had opted-in to it, so the latest report could be a beacon of hope for the likes of Facebook.

Apple allows app developers to explain why users should allow tracking and it looks like many businesses have found ways to convince users to opt in to tracking. For instance, an app may say that personalized ads help the developer keep the app free or that it can help users save money.

Adjust thinks that more users now “understand the value of opting in and receiving personalized advertisements” and expects the upward trend in consent rates to continue.

Apple meanwhile continues to advocate for stronger privacy protections and is fighting hard to prevent legislation that would let users download third-party apps outside of the App Store.

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Questions & Answers

Which companies were initially critical of Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature?

Companies relying on user tracking for personalised ads, such as Facebook, vocally criticised Apple for introducing the App Tracking Transparency feature. Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube are also expected to be affected.

What is the current rate of users opting in to app tracking, according to the report?

According to analytics platform Adjust, 25 percent of users have now opted in to being tracked. This number has increased from 16 percent in May 2021, showing an upward trend in consent rates.

Does the report cover all apps or a specific selection?

The study's findings are based on data from the 2,000 most popular apps within Adjust's database. This includes a notable improvement in opt-in rates, especially for gaming applications.

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