This iPhone Option Prevents Ads From Tracking You On The Internet

With Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature, you can increase your privacy while also putting ad trackers on the run. We've all had the unsettling sensation of a quick moment of online shoe buying turning into weeks of being stalked by adverts for the same footwear on every website you visit, and it's a nightmare to describe. But, on the other hand, the iPhone has a function that may assist you in increasing your online privacy by providing you with the ability to stop ad tracking inside the applications you use. 

You now have more control over which applications may follow you on your iPhone and how they do so, thanks to Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature. As a result, Apple's apps (and any other third-party apps) cannot utilize your data for targeted advertisements, share your location data with advertisers, or share your advertising ID or any other identifiers with third parties unless you grant them specific permission to monitor you (this includes Apple apps). This move, which was initially announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2020 and implemented with the iOS 14.5 update, has received praise from privacy activists but has drawn criticism from firms like Facebook, which claims it would hamper the company's ad business.

The change comes as part of a broader push by Apple to promote transparency and privacy, which CEO Tim Cook described as a "basic human right" in his keynote address. The release of iOS 14.3 introduced "nutrition labels" for apps, which alert users of the categories of information that the app requires before downloading it from the App Store.

The following steps will show you how to utilize the new App Tracking Transparency feature to manage which applications can monitor your location.

How To Disable New App Tracking

When you download and use a new app, you'll see a message asking whether you want the app to monitor your activity like iPhone sharing across other businesses' apps and websites. The app will track your behavior across other companies' apps and websites if you say yes. You'll also get information on what the app would track for you. You have the option of tapping Ask App not to Track to prevent that action from taking place or Allow.

To turn off app tracking across all of your downloaded applications, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and turn off the Allow Apps to Request Tracking option. Unfortunately, this means that any app that attempts to ask for your permission will be instantly prohibited from doing so and notified that you have chosen not to be monitored by third parties. In addition, according to Apple, all applications (other than those you've already granted permission to track in the past) will be barred from accessing your device's information for advertising.

It is crucial to understand that this does not imply removing advertisements. It simply means that you will be more likely to view general advertisements than those for the particular pair of shoes you were interested in before.

How To Disable App Tracking In Downloaded Applications

In the case of applications that you've previously downloaded and for which tracking permissions have been enabled, you may still choose whether or not to enable or disable tracking permissions on a per-app basis. Allow tracking may be turned off by selecting an app from the list of options in Settings. Alternatively, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and touch on each app you see in the list of applications that have requested permission to monitor your behavior to turn it on or off individually.

All app developers are obliged to get authorization before monitoring users' activities. For example, suppose Apple discovers that a developer monitors customers who have specifically requested not to be monitored. In that case, the developer will be required to adjust their tracking methods or risk being rejected from the app store. Apple feels that privacy features such as this help distinguish its goods from the competition. In addition, Cook has said that since its economic model is not based on advertising sales, it can devote more resources to privacy.

While this is true, it's crucial to remember that when you request that applications not track you, all you're doing is preventing app developers from accessing the identifier for advertisers (IDFA) on your iPhone. Developers utilize your device's IDFA to monitor your movements and serve relevant ads. The fact that you have denied app developers’ access to your iPhone's IDFA does not necessarily imply that they will not follow you in other ways. It is thus vital to be careful of the applications you use and how you interact with them.

  

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Zainab is a content creator & a passionate blogger. She is a professional tech blogger & an avid reader by soul. She loves to explore topics related to news/technology, particularly SMS backup & restore. In her free time, she enjoys penning down her thoughts with a cup of coffee.