Over the past three years, Apple has introduced a number of new features to ensure the privacy of its users. One of the biggest privacy features is Apple’s App Tracking Transparency, which gives users the ability to control which apps can track their activities and access their data.
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature offers Apple users a simple choice whether or not to allow apps to track their activity. If you choose to opt out, Apple will prevent the app from accessing identifiers that link your device to your in-app activity, which are typically shared with advertisers to create targeted ads. Unless you specifically give an app permission to track you (including apps made by Apple), it can’t use your information to target ads, including sharing your location data, advertising ID, or any other identifier with advertisers or third parties sides.
This story is a part 12 days of advicehelping you make the most of your technology, home and health during the holiday season.
The feature was first introduced at Apple’s 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference and was later rolled out to users later that year in iOS 14.5. Since then, Apple has built on those efforts to increase transparency and privacy. In the new iOS 17, Apple made a change that allows users to select a default search engine when in private browsing mode, giving users the option to select a non-Google search engine while in the private Safari tab. Coming in a future iOS update, Apple recently unveiled a feature that would make it harder for thieves to access sensitive information on stolen devices.
The impact of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature has been widespread in the technology industry. The feature has received support from privacy advocates but criticism from companies such as Meta, which said the move would hurt its ad business. Meta’s concerns were expressed across social media platforms, with a 2021 Financial Times investigation estimating that the feature cost Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube a combined $9.85 billion in lost ad sales, as most Apple users opted out from monitoring.
Even if you haven’t opted out first, you can change whether or not you want to allow tracking at any time. Here’s how to use the app tracking transparency feature.
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How to turn off app tracking on new apps
When you download and open a new app, you’ll get a pop-up notification asking if you want to allow the app to track your activity on other companies’ apps and websites. You will also see information about what the app will track. You can touch Ask the app not to track block that activity or Allow.
When you download the app, you’ll see a pop-up notification that gives you a choice whether or not you want to give the app permission to track you.
You can also turn off app tracking in each app you download by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and switching off Allow apps to request tracking. This means that any app that tries to ask for your permission will be automatically blocked and notified that you have requested not to be tracked. All apps (except those you’ve given tracking permission in the past) will be blocked from accessing your device’s data used for advertising, according to Apple.
It’s important to note that this does not mean that ads will disappear. It just means you’re more likely to see generic ads rather than those for that pair of shoes you clicked on once.
How to turn off app tracking on already downloaded apps
You can also turn app tracking permissions on or off depending on the app.
To do this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. You should see a list of apps that have requested to follow you. Tap the switch next to the apps you want to stop tracking you.
All app developers must ask for tracking permission. If Apple learns that a developer is tracking users who have asked not to be tracked, it will either have to update its tracking practices or face rejection from the app store.
Apple believes privacy features like these are differentiators for its products compared to other tech giants like Google and Samsung. Cook said that because the company’s business model is not based on selling ads, it can focus on privacy, which he called a “fundamental human right.”
However, it’s important to remember that when you ask apps not to track you, what you’re saying is that you don’t want app developers to have access to your unique identifier that Apple creates specifically for advertisers — your IDFA. Denying access to your iPhone’s IDFA doesn’t necessarily mean app developers won’t track you in other ways, so it’s crucial to be mindful of the apps you use and how you interact with them.
For more information on security and privacy, see best VPNs 2023 and how to stop google from tracking your location.
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