Apple’s careful curation of the App Store experience has been integral to establishing trust. It also allowed users to more easily opt out of location tracking by apps in iOS 13. Now, Apple’s new privacy “nutrition labels” and App Tracking Transparency requirements released in iOS 14.5 set a new standard that all app developers must comply with.

Most attention paid to iOS 14 is on the App Tracking Transparency framework, which will compel app developers to notify users if they want to track and share their data using Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA).

To track or not to track? New data on iOS app tracking opt-in rates contradicts earlier estimates, but may ultimately offer a clearer glimpse into consumers’ real behavior.

The situation on the iOS side differs because Apple will soon require each app to ask users if they would like to opt in to sharing the IDFA. Without an explicit opt-in to share an IDFA, app developers and advertisers won’t be allowed to do any type of user-level cross-channel tracking.

IDFA isn’t dead yet: New AppsFlyer data suggests that tracking opt-in rates could be much higher than the industry’s expectations, a spot of optimism that could make it worthwhile to keep collecting Apple’s Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA).

Apple is already climbing Mount Everest with app tracking transparency, and a loophole this wide would mean the policy starts off with no teeth. As of now, some speculate that Apple might try to work with the CAID developers, since tech companies and the government are so closely aligned in China.

The company will require law enforcement agencies to publicly post their data requests on Ring’s Neighbors app for users to see. While the move adds transparency, it’s unlikely to resolve the core concerns around Ring’s police partnerships.

Should free apps cost users their privacy?

Mobile games to stop targeting ads to kids: Some major developers and ad tech companies will need to stop tracking children under 13 after settling a lawsuit, limiting their targeting abilities.

Apple plans to roll out a major update to iOS this spring, requiring an opt-in before apps can track users across channels. "Behind the Numbers" host Marcus Johnson turns the tables on eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Nicole Perrin to ask about the latest research on AppTrackingTransparency opt-ins, the China Advertising ID (CAID), and how advertisers are preparing.

Broadly, the policy update allows users to communicate and interact with businesses on the app, ultimately opening up WhatsApp as a platform for ecommerce and peer-to-peer payments. Facebook eventually wants this communication to occur across its ecosystem of social platforms, which will require granting businesses some access to WhatsApp user data.

The deterioration of third-party tracking capabilities, coupled with a growing recognition that comparable measurement and targeting options might keep dollars in the open web, has furthered this concept along.

One of the unique qualities of retail media advertising is the ability to use closed-loop attribution, tying ad engagements to sales. This is possible because the same company is running the ad and selling the product advertised. Brands often look to Amazon and Walmart.com because those sites facilitate closed-loop attribution—and with the ongoing disruptions to digital identity, this tool will likely provide even greater advantages to those who use it.

As much as consumer behavior and the wider economic situation influence the app economy, Apple and Google do as well. With their commissions on in-app purchases (IAPs) and subscriptions, and with their rules surrounding data and advertising, they can make or break different monetization strategies. The changes set to take effect in early 2021 under Apple’s iOS 14, especially, have upended app monetization.