What you need to know
- A new report says 75% of iOS 14 users are opting out of tracking.
- Advertisers are reportedly panicking because of the impact it could have on its advertising business.
A new report says that 75% of iOS 14 users are refusing to be tracked thanks to Apple's new App Tracking Transparency measures, sending advertisers into meltdown.
From Bloomberg:
The new prompt from Apple Inc., which arrived in an iOS software update to iPhones in early June, explicitly asks users of each app whether they are willing to be tracked across their internet activity. Most are saying no, according to Branch, which analyzes mobile app growth. People are giving apps permission to track their behavior just 25% of the time, Branch found, severing a data pipeline that has powered the targeted advertising industry for years.
The report says that advertisers are "worrying" that they are losing access "to some of their most valuable targeting data", and that they've already seen a drop in advertising effectiveness.
The report says Facebook advertisers, in particular, have noticed the impact, and that "media buyers who run Facebook ad campaigns on behalf of clients said Facebook is no longer able to reliably see how many sales its clients are making."
Yesterday it was reported that Apple's tracking changes had seen some advertising revenues fall by as much as 30-40%.
A survey conducted by iMore in April revealed that 72% of participants were planning to select 'ask app not to track' when the new changes came into effect, with a meager two saying they would select allow. Another 22% said it would depend on which app they were using. These figures match the insight provided by Branch.
Facebook has previously raged against the changes stating they will destroy its advertising business, even alluding to a future where they might have to charge for Facebook and Instagram access.
