Apple’s iOS 14.5 update requires apps to show users a prompt asking for their consent before tracking them across other apps and websites. It’s called App Tracking Transparency or ATT and has caused a considerable uproar of the online advertising community and juggernauts like Facebook. After the roll-out of Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, initial numbers for the tracking opt-in are in. Not surprisingly, the opt-in rate is super low:
Today’s IDFA Apocalypse hot takes from @branchmetrics platform traffic:
🔹7% of all iOS app sessions are currently from iOS 14.5.
🔹Aggregate ATT opt-in rate (authorized / authorized + denied) = 4%.— Alex Bauer (@alexdbauer) April 30, 2021
Facebook has already reacted to the update and has started to roll out a prompt out to users including the notice “Help keep Facebook free of charge.”:
And it begins. @Facebook / @Instagram explore additional scare tactics to combat @Apple iOS14 #ATT privacy changes.
“Help keep Facebook free of charge” pic.twitter.com/mOB9WJpz9A
— ashkan soltani (@ashk4n) April 30, 2021
Since a significant portion of Facebook’s business model relies on selling personalized ads across its apps and services, it’s critical for Facebook to get as much data as possible. The more users opt-in the better for Facebook. It remains to be seen if such a prompt will convince users to opt-in to tracking. Personally, I do not think so.
