Last June 2020, Apple announced the use of IDFA on its iOS 14 operating system. But then, it was further delayed to 2021. This may be because of the controversies and disputes that the company faces in line with privacy policies. Many social media platforms are against the implementation of IADF. Most look at it as an anti-competitive behavior on the side of Apple. Today, Facebook will conduct webinars about Apple’s IDFA.
IDFA or Identifier for Advertisers is somewhat a tracking code for every iOS user. Apple plans to use it as a replacement for iOS 6’s unique device identifier (UDID). It’s an alphanumeric string used by 3rd party developers to track advertising. Just like Google Play Services ID for Android (ADID), it helps businesses track how mobile users engage and interact on their device.
Facebook and other social networks continue to criticize Apple to rethink IDFA as it will have a huge impact on ad effectiveness. When IDFA is implemented, iOS users will have the ability to opt-in or opt-out with data tracking on their device. As predicted, most will choose to opt-out. This will make it difficult for app developers to do personalized advertising with the lack of user insights.
To further educate its users on the impact of IDFA, Facebook will be conducting three webinars as follow:
- January 11, 2021 – “Our Stance on Apple’s iOS 14 Policy Requirements and Guidance to Help You“
- January 12, 2021 – “Web Advertising Guidance for Apple’s Mobile Operating System Changes”
- January 13, 2021 – “App Advertising Guidance for Apple’s Mobile Operating System Changes”
- The three webinars will explain how IDFA impacts different aspects of advertising on the platform.
Implications for Marketers:
Apple notes that IDFA is a way to ensure a user’s privacy control on their mobile devices. But to Facebook and other social networks, this is Apple’s way to outcompete its rivals. No one knows what will happen once IDFA has been implemented for iOS users. But for marketers, Facebook’s webinars about Apple’s IDFA can help you understand more how it will impact advertising. As such, brands can prepare to have a counter-measure on how to boost ads with IDFA in place.
