AdTech Alert. Apple Announces 15 iOS Privacy Features

Apple has made a big splash in adtech over the past few months and it isn’t done yet. The technology giant announced more changes at its World Wide Development Conference (WWDC) in addition to the April introduction of its app transparency tracking framework. These updates will have an enormous impact on publishers and advertisers as well as other stakeholders in the industry.

Lemonads is one of the most popular affiliate networks in the sector. This is partly because we keep up to date with all changes and make adjustments as necessary. This article will discuss the most significant privacy changes Apple made at the WWC, and how they will affect the affiliate market.

When will iOS 15 be released?

Before we get into the details of the changes Apple has announced, it is important to remember that these changes will not be in effect until iOS 15 comes out. In June, Apple announced that iOS would not be released until the fall 2021.

The public beta version of the software has been available online since June 30, so developers can test it, and users can get their first glimpse. As many developers are anticipating the official release, they have access to the 4th stage of the software.

According to some sources, iOS 15’s official release date will be September 13th. This is the same day the iPhone 13 is due to hit stores. Even though Apple’s privacy updates may put pressure on affiliates, iOS 15 will also bring new features.

WWDC Event Announces New AdTech iOS 15 Versions

Apple and other smartphone makers have worked for years to improve privacy. The privacy of their devices and providers is something consumers are more concerned about than ever. Apple has introduced privacy-centric features like app labels, which give users easy access information about developer privacy concerns. Or the introduction of the app tracking transparency frame.

The company now has a few more iOS 15 updates that will directly affect publishers. These are:

Privacy Dashboard Updates

Apple’s first and most significant change is the introduction of a privacy dashboard. This allows users to see what apps and websites are tracking their data and when it is happening.

Many believe this extension extends the app tracking transparency feature of iOS 14.5, which prohibited apps from collecting data and selling it to advertisers and media buyers.

iOS 15 will allow users to access a dashboard which contains all privacy settings and permissions. It is possible to see which apps have access to data such as location, microphone, camera and photo library. You can also see how often these data are used by which parties.

Blocking Invisible Trackers

Email marketing has been a powerful form of advertising for many years. This is partly due to the fact that every email includes a pixel-sized file of an image, which tells the sender when the email was opened. These trackers also collect data about users, such as IP addresses, device details and internet connection details.

Many browser extensions block these trackers. Apple stunned the digital advertising industry when it announced that it would add similar features to its Mail app. The move, from a publisher/advertiser standpoint, will make it impossible for stakeholders to know when consumers are engaged with the emails. This will make optimization extremely difficult.

Siri Processes All Audio

Siri, Apple’s default voice assistant, could not be used without an active internet connection at the time of this article. The company revealed at WWDC that Siri would work without an active internet connection in the new iOS 15 operating system.

It will be able to process all speech on the device, so that no recording is lost. Apple announced that Siri will respond quicker to voice commands, besides enhancing privacy and addressing safety issues.

Publishers and other stakeholders who were adapting their platforms for voice search should continue to make improvements. These entrepreneurs and platform owners should wait for the new updates to get a better understanding about how Siri’s new voice search system works.

Bonus: Safari Privacy Features and iCloud+ New

Apple will not only block trackers and process voice searches through the device but it will also make changes to its iCloud services, which it is calling iCloud+. Customers who have paid for iCloud will be able to upgrade at no additional cost. They will see improvements in the interface immediately after they download the iOS15 beta release.

Let’s take a look below at the iCloud updates that you can expect in iOS 15.

Private Relay

Private Relay will be a new feature in iCloud+. It will only be available via Safari for the first time. This feature was originally known as Oblivious DNS over-HTTPS. It is the result heavy collaboration between Cloudflare, Apple and Cloudflare.

This service is simply a combination DNS-over HTTPTP and proxy servers. This means that no one on the internet can see your browsing history if this feature is enabled. This applies to internet providers as well as other stakeholders who operate between your device’s device and the server it requests information from.

Hide My Email

Consumers have shared their email addresses for the past two decades whenever they sign up to a newsletter or similar service. Unreliable publishers could collect this information to try and monetize the emails, but they would not deliver any value. This had a negative impact on the number users who signed up for online content.

Apple’s Hide My Email allows users to create random email addresses and sign up for newsletters. They also receive updates via their regular iCloud email. If users are concerned about how their email address might be used, the main purpose of this feature is to not allow them to share their real email addresses.

Default 2-Step Authenticator

It is worth noting that Apple has introduced so many new features to iOS 15 that it didn’t have the time to discuss them all at the WWDC. The addition of two-factor authentication to Apple devices is one of the most interesting privacy updates. Users can now set up additional verification without the need for a third party app.

What can publishers do to reduce the impact of these updates?

With all its new updates, it is clear that Apple is changing the face of online advertising. Despite the fact that they seem to spell doom for many publishers and advertisers, those who make adjustments as soon as possible will have the best chance of success.

Our experience shows that creating a marketing strategy based on the new features Apple will introduce in the next iOS release is the best way to market. This will keep your audience interested and increase your chances of long-term success.

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