The IDFA was created as something of a compromise to make ad tracking possible while protecting user privacy, but designer Erik Neuenschwander eventually came to openly regret having ever created the system.
The original version of Wordle, hosted by creator Josh Wardle on a self-hosted website, did not have any advertising or connection to ad tracking networks.
Google recently announced that its Privacy Sandbox initiative is now also being rolled out for Android, in a move comparable to the ad tracking privacy changes made by Apple in 2021.
The unique device identifier that Apple uses for personalized ad tracking, the IDFA, has been in the news lately. You may soon be hearing just as much about Google's equivalent for Android, the AAID.
The new Apple IDFA terms will soon require apps that use ad tracking to obtain consent via a pop-up. Facebook is pre-empting it with their own pop-up that tries to convince the user to opt in.
Google Phases Out Use of Apple IDFA as New iOS 14 Ad Tracking Notifications Are Set for Early Spring
Google apps will no longer use the Apple IDFA or any other information that falls under the new privacy terms for ad tracking, which it says relieves it from having to present users with an opt-in pop-up.
The advertising industry was very unhappy with the tweaks made to ad tracking systems in iOS 14 leading to a coalition of publishers and advertisers in France to initiate an antitrust complaint.
The IAB TCF was one of the first ad tracking standards to ensure compliance with GDPR terms. There's just one small problem; it may not actually comport with the relevant data protection rules.
While Apple does not appear to be backing down on any of its iOS 14 privacy features, it has relented somewhat in the face of pressure from some of the giants of the ad tracking industry.
New iOS 14 operating system will not only allow Apple users to selectively disable ad tracking in apps but also introduce a suite of new enhanced privacy features.
