Hot off of the press! Apple just made some surprise announcements.

Editors note: The update to IDFA opt-in functionality went live on April 26, 2021. The info in this article that covers what this update means for CJ and the industry is still relevant.

Here are the changes they announced and what they mean for the affiliate channel:

• IDFA opt-in functionality will come in 2021, rather than with the release of iOS14 in September 2020 (as previously announced).
• iOS14 ITP default functionality will extend to all browser apps on iOS devices—not just Safari.

While the first announcement likely left app developers and mobile partner platforms breathing a sigh of relief, the second announcement came without warning on September 14th at the Apple developer conference, giving developers little time to prepare before the iOS14 release on September 16th.

What does Apple’s announcement mean?

Apple’s announcement means that any iOS14 (iPhone, iPad, or Mac) users who prefers to browse the internet on their devices through a browser other than Apple’s Safari will be subject to the same tracking limitations imposed by default through Safari ITP. This change also applies to apps using webviews for tracking. Experts say this move means that all browser development moving forward will be fundamentally tied to the WebKit framework that powers Safari’s ITP.

What are the implications for CJ tracking?

In the CJ Affiliate network—as in the broader ecosystem—Safari mobile browsing and shopping behavior is prominent and has become increasingly popular throughout the pandemic as users spend more time on mobile devices.

While the announcement’s implications are far-reaching—Apple has unilaterally taken control over consumer mobile browsing experiences—the immediate impact is limited from a network perspective.

CJ offers flexible and future-focused server-side integration solutions to mitigate the tracking impact to CJ programs to preserve tracking, transparency, and partnership-protection.  

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Contact us to learn more about how you can maintain tracking integrity when changes like these are rolled out.