Key Points:
- YouTube on iOS will request user permission to track activity across other apps for more personalized ads.
- Users can choose “Allow” for relevant ads based on broader data or “Ask App Not to Track” for less personalized experiences.
- This aligns with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy that gives users control over data tracking.
Apple’s iOS 14.5 update mandated app developers to obtain user consent for tracking activities beyond their apps. Previously, Google apps like YouTube avoided the “Allow Tracking” prompt by discontinuing specific tracking methods. However, YouTube is now implementing an opt-in system complying with Apple’s ATT framework.
Soon, iOS users will encounter a one-time prompt within the YouTube app: “Allow YouTube to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites?” This prompt offers two choices:
- Allow: Selecting this option permits YouTube to link your in-app activity with data from non-Google apps and websites. This enables more precise ad targeting based on your broader online interests, resulting in a “high-quality, helpful ads experience” according to YouTube. The rationale is that advertisers with better performance measurement can potentially benefit content creators on the platform.
- Ask App Not to Track: Choosing this option maintains the current behavior where YouTube uses only first-party Google data for ad targeting. It avoids linking data across non-Google apps, leading to “less personalized” ads that might be “less relevant and more repeated.”
It’s important to note that YouTube Premium subscribers and users with child accounts are exempt from this prompt. Additionally, users who choose “Ask App Not to Track” can still manage their ad personalization settings within their iOS device settings (Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking). This setting solely controls how third-party apps and websites interact with YouTube for ad purposes. Personalized ads based on activity within YouTube and other Google apps/websites will persist if the user has enabled personalized ads within their Google account.
With this move, YouTube aims to strike a balance between user privacy and a relevant ad experience while adhering to Apple’s ATT policy. Users will have the ultimate control over the data YouTube utilizes for ad targeting on their iOS devices.
