In March, just over half of email opens worldwide came from Apple devices using Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), a feature released in September 2021 that prevents email senders from receiving data on Mail app users’ device usage, among other information. About one-third of opens came from webmail, while the remaining slice was split fairly evenly between desktop and mobile.

Apple earnings show how much its ad business has grown amid iOS 14.5: App Store search ads have benefited greatly from its privacy update—something advertisers have known for a while and regulators won’t be able to ignore for long.

Snap misses Q3 revenue goal by $3 million, citing iOS privacy changes: The platform’s bottom line was affected by supply chain issues and changes to app tracking via Apple, foreshadowing a rough quarter for other social platforms.

Identity resolution is in a state of flux in the US advertising industry, with third-party browser cookies and mobile IDs being ushered out in the name of consumer privacy.

AppTrackingTransparency isn’t the death knell some feared: Just under half of all users have consented to tracking, far above initial estimates.

Meta’s advertising issues: The ecommerce stumble comes as Meta’s many attempts to develop post-privacy update ad tracking solutions have failed to stick the landing and eroded advertiser trust, as well as the company’s market value. One year after Apple’s privacy update, Meta was still reeling from the changes.

Video Ad Creative Could Help Mitigate Privacy Changes. Even prior to iOS impacts, video ads—or other types of rich media display ads on social platforms—were a growing priority for advertisers for their more immersive, attention-grabbing effectiveness and full-funnel benefits.

As the ad industry grapples with privacy changes, much is at stake: US programmatic display advertising will top $123 billion this year and approach $142 billion in 2023.

New data collection strategies emerge from Apple’s privacy update: Advertisers and publishers are turning to ecommerce, direct mail, and other means to enhance their first-party information, our recent report finds.

Apple’s iOS Privacy Changes. Since late 2020, Facebook and Apple have been locked in a battle over two paradoxical values: consumers’ desire for privacy and personalized experiences. On April 26, 2021, Apple’s ATT framework went into effect with the rollout of its iOS 14.5 update.

Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published an open letter imploring Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop supplying products and services to Russia. While there’s no official response from Apple, Cook did tweet that he “was deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine.”.

Apple’s 2021 privacy updates have advertisers approaching iOS with caution and accelerating their investment in Android. Last May, soon after the changes rolled out, US Meta ad spending rose at about the same pace on both types of devices. By the end of December, growth on iOS had slowed to 3% year over year, while Android’s soared to 101%.

Privacy by design is now an expectation as well as a goal. Consumers expect companies to be transparent about how they’re using data and to ensure their data is kept private and secure. Manufacturers and software developers need to incorporate privacy and security into the design and build stages of product development.

Apple itself is a beneficiary. Apple offers sponsored search ads in its App Store, and since it only uses Apple’s own data, it’s unaffected by the changes—raising the value of App Store ads for mobile app install campaigns.

Apple’s privacy changes in iOS 14.5, which rolled out in April, had only a “modest” impact on its business, per Alphabet’s Q3 earnings call. Google’s access to first-party data means its ability to track and target ads was relatively unaffected, making its platforms especially attractive to marketers who were left scrambling after iOS 14.5.

Is the Banning Surveillance Advertising Act a threat? Even if the US bill to limit targeted ads doesn’t pass, its introduction signals a legislative landscape that favors privacy more than ever.

Both Apple and Google are making targeting more difficult by introducing consumer privacy provisions in iOS 15 and forthcoming versions of Chrome, respectively. These changes are forcing marketers to shift to targeting based largely on first-party data, the collection and management of which will be paramount in a cookie-compromised environment. Stricter regulatory requirements.

Outspoken employees fear governments could use the company’s CSAM scanning tools for censorship. Apple assures the public it has safeguards in place, but controversy over the features risks tarnishing its reputation as an industry leader on privacy.

Apple plans to introduce software to detect child abuse content locally on an iPhone or Mac. Privacy and security advocates say the plan could tarnish Apple’s reputation as the vanguard of consumer privacy and bulwark against government anti-encryption efforts.

Smartphone duopoly could get regulatory pushback in UK: The latest effort to keep Apple and Google in check could invite competition and promote consumer choice, but there’s no viable third player.

eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Yoram Wurmser discusses Apple's unfathomable Q4 results and market position. He then talks about how Apple’s new privacy labels may influence the choices consumers make, Google's new mobile search redesign, and whether 2021 could see 5G smartphones fall below the $200 mark.

Privacy is more than just a compliance concern—it’s an opportunity for differentiation. This report features four case studies that highlight how emerging technology platforms are establishing privacy and trust to gain a competitive advantage.