App tracking transparency was first introduced by Apple all the way back in June of 2020. The feature may still take time to be introduced in phones as of yet. It is the developers who are incumbent on putting up the prompt for users to opt-out of tracking. Under app tracking transparency, ad marketers will need consent from Identifiers for Advertising (IDFA) to track and receive information across platforms. They then form a user database which they then sell to companies.
But Apple users are still in luck; instead of waiting for the developers, they can regulate who tracks their data all the same in these few simple steps.
How to Opt-out of Tracking on Apple iOS;
- Go to settings
- Click on ‘Privacy’
- Then on ‘Tracking’
- And finally, turn off “Allow apps to request to track.”
As Apple continues to establish itself as a company that respects your privacy, as shown in their ad campaigns, more can be done on data security and privacy.
Apple was a part of a massive security breach in the December of 2020. Gatekeeper, software installed on Mac’s to ensure only reliable software run on its computers, resulted in massive amounts of data being transferred to the company without the users’ knowledge. Data was sent unencrypted and virtual, private networks bypassed, which shows the company’s blatant disregard for users’ privacy. Despite all these allegations, the company continues to claim they prioritize privacy. In a new series of antitrust laws in the United States, Apple and other tech giants have faced charges of monopolizing the digital economy.
As the company faces renewed heat for handling their user’s data, is this new policy on greater privacy the start for big tech to take security more seriously?
