Appgain Mobile Marketing Weekly News Digest – Issue 2
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- So far, what happened?
- How is the situation from the Apple Users’ Side
- Lawsuits & Arising Problems
- The Requirements & Restrictions For Apps
iOS 14.5 is live!
So far, what happened?
Apple launched the ATT feature with the IOS 14.5 update. To wrap up the situation for newcomers, we can list the main points in bullet points:
- Apple announced ATT (App Tracking Transparency) feature for the upcoming updates, which shook the mobile industry. The feature was giving the users the ability to control & see which app was tracking which data. At the same time, Apple asked the users permission when entering the app if they allow the app to track her/his data.
- Mobile marketers & most of the apps protested the announcement based on the foreseen damage to their business models. On the other hand, Apple users were optimistic and supportive.
- Apple didn’t step back and released the feature.
Source:https://www.attprompts.com/
From Apple, SVP Software Engineering Craig Federighi spoke to the Wall Street Journal. He mostly mentioned that they believe they are doing the right thing for the users by supplying them with a safer environment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G05nEgsXgoI&ab_channel=WallStreetJournal
“App Tracking Transparency gives users the choice of whether they want to be tracked across apps and websites.“
Apple’s SVP Software Engineering Craig Federighi
If you want to check the details about the ATT & the opposition opinion, you can check our previous weekly news blog. This week’s topic is how the users reacted & what will happen now.
How is the situation from the Apple Users’ Side
As you can see above, the number of opt-in rates for 14.5 iOS 14.5 decreases day by day. In other words, the percentage of users who let apps track is something you shouldn’t ignore. Those people’s data can still be worked on and give a good impression.
At the same time, based on the chart below, the number of active users who prefer not to be tracked is approximately 3%. Since 14.5 has just launched. ATT is not well-known & common among Apple users, which is the foreseen reason for those low rates.
Lawsuits & Arising Problems
Marketers started to be threatened by fewer imported apps installed in Facebook campaigns since ATT discussion arose. Some companies stopped updating their apps to escape the ATT prompt until they find a way to increase the data again.
Now, Apple has become the target for most mobile companies. One lawsuit has already opened from German advertisers, accusing Apple of “abuse and violation of competition.”
They advocated that Apple is leaving competitors outside via preventing commercially relevant information from being shared.
They stated that the action of Apple was one-sided (final users), and since relevant data were used to give personalized ads, it would take more time for a user to find what he/ she wants and will not see the products they would use.
Apple’s response was an ethical one, underlining that the data is more than a commercial material but something private and needs to be controlled by the owner of that data.
While talking about the tension between the mobile companies and Apple, it is hard not to mention where Facebook stands:
“Free, ad-supported services have been essential to the growth and vitality of the internet; we’re joining others to point out Apple’s hypocrisy and anti-competitive behavior”
Source: https://news.mobilegrowth.org/issues/25.
Meanwhile, in the middle of another case with Epic Games, Apple was accused of monopolizing the app via high cuts from payments & not allowing the app to use redirection to the website.
Apple Bans apps that reward users for allowing ATT
Apple required all the apps at the App Store to implement ATT starting from the 26th of April, the date of the release.
In addition, they pointed out that the detected apps who try to circumvent ATT and keep selling & customizing ads as it was before, will be removed from the AppStore.
Apple also pointed out that apps that give discounts, extras, or additional hooks to make the user restrict ATT will be banned from the App Store. As obvious it is, Apple shifted the future of mobile marketing from the ground. New legal, sociological, and technical directions will occur and meanwhile, we will be following & sharing them with you.
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