Apple’s upcoming App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy requires developers to ask for permission when they use certain information from other companies’ apps and websites for advertising purposes — even if they already have user consent.
With that in mind, Google published guidance today to help developers and advertisers in the iOS ecosystem prepare and adapt for the ATT update. In the blog post, Christophe Combette, Group Product Manager at Google Ads, was candid about ATT’s consequences for its customers.
“Apple’s ATT changes will reduce visibility into key metrics that show how ads drive conversions (like app installs and sales) and will affect how advertisers value and bid on ad impressions,” said Combette. “As such, app publishers may see a significant impact to their Google ad revenue on iOS after Apple’s ATT policies take effect.”
To enable its partners to navigate the changes, Google is taking several expected steps.
To support measuring performance on iOS 14, Combette and Google are encouraging developers to upgrade to the latest version of the Google Mobile Ads SDK, which is now integrated with SKAdNetwork, the aggregate method for measuring attribution of mobile ad campaigns for iOS apps. He added that advertisers should also upgrade to the latest version of Google Analytics for Firebase, which now offers SKAdNetwork support, as well.
Additionally, Google revealed it would be expanding modeled conversions to more iOS 14 traffic. Modeled conversions use machine learning to quantify the impact of marketing efforts when a subset of conversions can’t be observed. This can happen when there are cookie restrictions in browsers or blind spots from cross-device conversions, leading to industry-wide gaps in observability.
Last but not least, Google shared details on how it will be complying with ATT across its owned-and-operated apps, such as YouTube and Google Maps. Whereas Google’s moves with SKAdNetwork and modeled conversions were largely expected, Google surprised many by confirming it will jettison use of Apple’s IDFA and “not show the ATT prompt on those apps.”
“How can Apple get away with not showing the ATT prompt and still be compliant?,” asked Maurice Rahmey, a former Client Solutions Manager at Facebook and now co-founder and CEO of the Disruptive Digital agency. “Isn’t that what Facebook wanted to do and then they said they couldn’t because Apple would remove them from the App Store?”
Most reserved their barbs for Apple, however.
Ouriel Ohayon, CEO of ZenGo, tweeted that Apple’s ATT updates are “an earthquake” that will lead to developers being “dumb in ads” and “more blind about works or not.”
Apple’s updated ATT policy is expected to go into effect sometime next quarter.
