Apple puts a spanner in the works on personalized advertising

Crackdown on User Activity Tracking: With the next update to the iOS 14 operating system, app developers will need to ask for explicit permission

(Photo: Pixabay) Crackdown on activity tracking of Apple users for online advertising: With the upcoming update to the iOS 14 operating system, app developers will need to ask for explicit permission in order to follow device activity. On the other hand, each user can decide not to disclose his navigation data, used by app manufacturers to sell customized advertising spaces, based on the searches carried out and the pages visited.

The news concerns updates for iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and tvOS 14 and will happen in the coming weeks. The basis is the Idfa code (Id for advertisers) randomly assigned by Apple to each device. By monitoring the activity of this Id for advertisers, different applications can display similar and tailored advertisements, therefore of greater value for those who want to reach a certain target.

To have access to the Idfa code, each app installed on iOS 14 before opening it will have to show an explicit message via an App tracking transparency framework, asking for “permission to track you between apps and sites owned by other companies. Your data will be used to provide you with personalized advertisements ". A powerful tool in the hands of hundreds of millions of users to protect their privacy, receiving random advertisements in return.