This week, Apple released a software update that will allow mobile device users to opt out of app tracking. This transparency is a big deal for consumer privacy as well as the countless advertisers who have relied on access to each unique Apple device identifier to collect user data and serve targeted ads. Consumers will now be asked per app install or update if they want advertisers to track that unique ID. You can guess what they say they’ll do.
In a recent CivicScience survey, 79% of Apple device users say they will opt out of app tracking.
Only 10% were at least somewhat likely to permit app tracking for advertisers and another 11% were unsure. This level of guardedness from consumers makes sense given overall trust in tech companies to protect personal privacy has been declining.
People between the ages of 18 and 24 show a slightly higher likelihood of allowing app tracking than other age groups, but generally speaking, there are no significant or noteworthy demographic differences in the data. People of all ages, incomes, education levels like the idea of more control over their privacy.
Perception of the Apple brand has shifted significantly in response to the news. April 2021 saw future-looking sentiment rise.
For more good news, current iPhone owners steadily report satisfaction with their mobile devices. In the last month alone, the data show a slight rise in the percentage of satisfied iPhone users.
And in the last two months, those who say they are ‘very likely’ to purchase an Apple iPhone in the near future increased from 13% to 20%.
At a time when concern about consumer privacy is at a high, increased transparency between tech companies and their current and future customers goes a very long way. The question now is whether or not iPhone owners will feel the difference between opting in or opting out of app tracking, and if there could be instances where they would prefer to be tracked. CivicScience will give iPhone users a chance to experiment before checking in with them again.
