Allow App To Track Your Activity Across Other Companies and Websites
Many of you have seen this pop up when opening up a new version of the applications you use on your Apple devices. What does it mean? And what should you do?
This window is called Apple's App Transparency framework (ATT). It forces all applications to ask consumers specifically if they are okay with that application tracking them outside the application. There are a few things you should know.
Before this implementation, ALL OF THESE APPLICATIONS WERE TRACKING YOU OUTSIDE OF THEIR APPLICATION BY DEFAULT. This means that Door Dash, Uber, Weather App, etc., collected data elsewhere. Let me guess - you had no idea? Well, now you know.
Since being implemented in April of 2021, approximately 90% of consumers, when prompted with this window, say 'NO.' As a result, it has led to a massive reduction in the available data in the market on you. Good for you and good for Apple in introducing this. To give you some context on its impact, Facebook's revenue declined by $10b (yes billion) in Q4 2021 alone due to its inability to track users on iOS devices. Every application similar to Facebook (SNAP, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) had similar issues.
Apple made this move to slowly reduce the amount of data leaking from its devices, and as part of their long-term strategy of why you should buy Apple products; "because we won't leak your data outside of Apple." Want proof? Here's an advertisement that many of you have seen.
Apple, Google, and others are slowly realizing that privacy is fundamental and incorporating it into their strategies as they know it's important to consumers.
At Reklaim, we plan to continue to highlight any changes that you can incorporate into your day-to-day to reduce your overall data footprint. In the meantime, if presented with this window when opening a new or updated application, do what your mother always told you, "just say no," and protect your data from being taken from other applications.
Take care out there
Team Reklaim
