Targeted advertising has become a mainstay of life
You do a search on Amazon for say, exercise bikes, and then, about every other website you visit will show you ads relating to your recent search. It's almost scary how good the ad targeting is.
If you're not a fan, there's good news. Apple has decided to do something about it.
With the release of iOS 14.5, they introduced a new feature called ATT, which stands for App Tracking Transparency. Its purpose is to make the types of ads described above a whole lot less common and users more aware: especially as permission requests start coming in from apps people never thought were tracking them.
How it works
It works by placing hard limits on the data collection practices that are essential for displaying targeted ads Also, as you might expect, the decision is generating tons of backlash from retailers around the globe. Most of them have made targeted advertising a principal component of their online ad strategy and this change stands to upend the apple cart.
Simply put, the new feature requires apps to get users' permission before tracking their data across other companies' websites and apps for advertising purposes. All you, as the user, must do is select the option "Ask app not to track" and the app's developers will be denied access to your data.
"Some apps have more trackers embedded in them than they need," Apple said in a video posted to YouTube on Monday. "They collect thousands of pieces of information about you to create a digital profile that they sell to others. These third parties use your profile to target you with ads, and they can also use it to predict and influence your behaviors and decisions."
"This has been happening without your knowledge or permission. Your information is for sale. You have become the product," Apple said in the video.
This is a big win for the end user on two fronts. First, app developers won't be able to track your movements around the web, so they won't have a window into the various sites you visit. Second, they won't be able to share what data they do get their hands on with third party data brokers.
Privacy experts love the change, and it certainly won't hurt Apple itself; the company makes most of its profits from hardware sales and the services they provide. Advertising revenue is a small piece of Apple's pie.
"People are going to have a bit of a fire inside them and jump to opt-out of Facebook selling their data," Mike Audi, founder and CEO of TIKI, a service that allows users to see what data and how companies are tracking them online. "The result is that brands we'd actually want to share our data with may no longer get the data they rely on to provide you with a seamless, hyper-personalized customer experience."
My perspective
So far, there's no functional equivalent in the Android ecosystem, but depending on how well it is received, you can expect something comparable to appear before awfully long. Kudos to Apple for taking a big step in the right direction where privacy is concerned.
Can you hear Rick Blaine's ghost saying -
"Louie, I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"
By Denis Wilson
Thanks for reading this short post. For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPIA Blogs. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
I am also a published author and speaker on cloud computing, work@home, and cybersecurity. I work extensively with business and professional associations to provide small business technology education programs.
Contact me if you would like me to speak to your association
