In the ever-changing world of digital privacy, Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is a significant event where the company unveils its latest advancements. At WWDC23, which took place on the 6th – 9th of June, Apple introduced major privacy updates that will impact businesses and users. One of the key highlights of the conference was the unveiling of iOS 17, which brings crucial changes to tracking and privacy, specifically in the realm of private browsing. Let’s look closer at the key takeaways from Apple’s WWDC23 privacy changes as we share strategies to adapt to the new tracking landscape in iOS 17’s private browsing mode.
What was announced in iOS17 privacy updates?
The announcements included enhanced privacy features across various aspects of the operating system. Here are some key privacy changes introduced during WWDC23:
- Link Tracking Protection: iOS 17 introduces Link Tracking Protection, a feature that safeguards user privacy in Messages, Mail, and Safari. This feature prevents senders from knowing when a user clicks on a link in a message or email. By blocking this tracking mechanism, users can browse and interact with links without being tracked by the sender.
- Mail Privacy Protection: Building upon the existing Mail Privacy Protection feature, iOS 17 strengthens email privacy. It conceals users’ IP addresses and blocks remote images, preventing senders from determining when an email has been opened. This protects user privacy by preventing senders from collecting data based on email activity.
- Safari Private Browsing Enhancements: iOS 17 brings enhancements to Safari’s Private Browsing mode, further increasing user privacy. The updated Private Browsing mode prevents websites from tracking user activity and blocks third-party tracking cookies. This enables a more private browsing experience, limiting websites’ ability to collect data and track user behavior across the web.
Photo by Daniel Korpai on Unsplash
What does it mean for Swaarm users?
We believe that despite the additional changes Apple is introducing, the advertising ecosystem can continue to thrive. We have embraced and anticipated privacy changes already over the past years and Swaarm has already been working without cookies since 2020.
With our innovative solutions like the Privacy Enabled Attribution solution (iOS 14-compliant attribution chain methodology) and our second generation of user acquisition technology, the recently launched Advanced Privacy Suite (encompassing all iOS, Android, and Web ecosystems), Swaarm’s clients can navigate these significant changes successfully while respecting user privacy.
Private browsing removes all personal identifiers, including transaction IDs, but it retains additional parameters like campaign IDs.
At Swaarm, our tracking platform does not rely on transaction IDs or personal identifiers to track users. Instead, we utilize the offer ID and the publisher ID to initiate the tracking process, eliminating the need for a transaction ID.
Essentially, even if users have private browsing enabled in Safari and our transaction ID is removed, Swaarm’s tracking mechanism remains effective because it leverages the offer ID and publisher ID to identify the source.
Photo by Dmitry Chernyshov on Unsplash
What you can do right now to prepare for these changes
If you are tracking iOS 14+ campaigns, then using our Privacy Enabled Attribution (PEA) chain technology is the right solution to effectively adapt to these major changes while upholding user privacy.
As a web advertiser, you should implement our JS SDK as it is the best way to ensure full compliance with current privacy requirements while receiving reliable attribution. Swaarm’s JS SDK solution ensures that traffic sources are accurately attributed and measured by employing different methods in order of accuracy.
Additionally, using coupon codes offers a way to attribute conversions to a partner without relying on the end user to click a tracking link. With coupon codes, Swaarm customers can effectively track campaign success while respecting users who have enabled tracking protection features.
By using Swaarm’s Advanced Privacy Suite (APS), you can assess advertising performance metrics across various platforms, such as iOS, where opting in for the Identifier for Advertising (IDFA) is becoming increasingly uncommon. Android, where the user agent is being phased out, and the web, where third-party cookies are being eliminated.
Conclusion
In the ever-changing landscape of online advertising and with more privacy changes on the horizon, it is crucial to partner with a forward-thinking tracking solution provider.
These providers are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies and techniques that ensure compliance with privacy regulations while maintaining effective tracking capabilities. With Swaarm as their tracking provider, businesses can stay competitive and confidently navigate the evolving privacy landscape.
The iOS 17 privacy updates are expected to be released to users in fall 2023. We are closely monitoring the latest developments and are committed to staying one step ahead of the game. Our dedication to innovation drives us to develop new strategies and solutions aimed at improving tracking capabilities while remaining fully privacy compliant.
If you have any questions about the iOS 17 privacy changes, our JS SDK, or any other growth challenges, feel free to contact us at sales@swaarm.com.
