Early next year, iOS 14 (iOS 14.4) will require apps to obtain user consent to collect their random advertising identifier, which will be used by advertisers to deliver and track personalized ads.
Apple released the first beta of iOS 14.4 last week. Now the first testers are reporting that the new data protection feature has apparently been implemented. Users are asked whether they want to allow or deny tracking. A screenshot was posted on the MacRumors forum divided, showing the pop-up in conjunction with the NBA app. The final version of iOS 14.4 is expected in January or February. This would also align with Apple's "early 2021" timeline. The company originally planned to introduce the prompt in September, but this was delayed to give developers more time to prepare. Last week, Facebook claimed that Apple's new requirement would hurt small businesses.
iOS 14.4: “Give users a choice”
The social media giant previously announced the measures with the words criticized, it's about "profit, not privacy," and claims that Apple will force smaller companies to charge people for subscriptions and in-app purchases while increasing Apple's own revenue streams. Apple responded to the criticism as follows:
We believe this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared with other apps and websites—and they should have the choice to allow it or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 doesn't require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted ads, it just requires them to give users a choice. (Photo by manae / Bigstockphoto)
