Background
Apple continues to stake their claim near the front of the line when it comes to users and their overall privacy in this tech filled world. In recent years Apple has been actively working to make updates to their device, settings, and platforms to ensure that their users get the best experience possible while still protecting their information and data from any outside threats. Apple is regularly making updates to their operating system which include added features such as more interactivity through widgets and apps; more control over privacy and which ads users will see; and the ability in some cases to block/strip tracking from certain browsers and email forwards. These changes come at a time when marketers and advertisers are actively working to ensure they can still track advertising while navigating through policy changes that are taking aim at the digital advertising industry.
SKAN is Apple’s API based SKAdNetwork, it is a privacy centric framework for attribution and ad measurement. It provides aggregated data and insights to users with no ULD (User level data) this means data can be collected without using identifying information or PII. While SKAN4 introduced a plethora of new features for attribution and measurement of campaigns running on Apple iOS, SKAN5 promises to introduce even more updates to privacy while having one major update to metrics. SKAN5 will allow publishers to see users retargeting by using a new matrix that counts user interactions when an ad is used to open the app. This update will also strip apps of APIs that are not proven to effect user experience. This means any API or Application Programming Interface which is a digital pathway whereby data is collected would be removed from the program if it did not provide a service that specifically improved its users experience. If the data did not improve UX it would be removed. This leads to more privacy by limiting the amount of extemporaneous data collected, however it also lessens advertisers’ freedoms in collecting other forms of data which may give them more information on user habits.
On September 18, 2023 Apple released iOS 17 which included many updates including but not limited to:
– Phone, Message and FaceTime updates all of which provide new ways for users to express themselves while communicating.
– StandBy mode which provides a full-screen experience and glanceable information that users can view from a distance when the iPhone is turned sideways and charging.
– AirDrop which supports contact sharing and makes it easier to share and connect with those nearby.
– Privacy updates including Apple’s Link Tracking Protection for Messages, Mail and Safari’s new private browsing feature. This feature removes tracking parameters from URLs when users share them in mail, messages, and Safari Private Mode, which eliminates the option to track user actions through tracking links.
– Enhancements to the keyboard to improve texting and other updates to Widgets, Safari, Music, AirPlay and more.
So what is happening exactly?
Focusing on the privacy updates – when the planned updates were announced marketers and advertisers may have initially panicked at the thought of these updates and what it could mean for the industry. Many were concerned over the possibility that they were going to lose precious tracking data and information and rightfully so with all the other changes that have been coming down the pipe and impacting the advertising industry. Post-release there is good news to be shared, while initial reports of these updates made them seem strict and impenetrable it appears that while some tracking is removed, UTM parameters do remain intact, and the overall impact of the New Link Tracking Protection appears to be minimal.
The iOS 17 update builds on prior releases of iOS 15 and iOS 16 and ensures that users know and better understand how third-party vendors share their data. This aligns with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency which requests user authorization to access app-related data for tracking the user or the device.
Overall Impact
We believe this update will have a minimal impact on pharma brand data collection. Most if not all of our data collection can and is used to impact our users’ experience thus making the pharma industry a non-target for SKAN5.0s API stripping protocols. If anything, SKAN5.0 may allow our partners who advertise their app to have a better understanding of user engagement since it allows retargeting by using a new matrix that counts user interactions when an ad is used to open the app. Users who share links with tracking protocols will find the tracking is dropped when a link is shared. Although this would remove the ability to track the second user’s site side activity, it is likely that the effects will be negligible as a majority of visits are generated from the first user’s interaction with an ad and not from receiving a tracked link. Ultimately SKAN5.0 and the subsequent privacy update will be an upgrade to users’ experiences and allay some privacy concerns.