Apple iOS 14.5 Privacy Requirements and iPadOS 14.5 are scheduled for an early spring 2021 release. The new release will include many new features, including a major privacy upgrade. This update will include privacy in the form of App Tracking Transparency, a feature that was slated for the initial release of iOS 14 but delayed until now. Mobile app developers must know how to prepare for Apple iOS 14.5 privacy requirements before the deadline.
App Tracking Transparency is a new feature that requires apps to request permission from users before tracking them across other apps and websites using an Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). Considered the third-party cookie of mobile apps, IDFA is a familiar term for publishers, marketers, and app developers. This feature has been heavily relied upon to track users across applications. Up until now, it’s fueled the personalization of third-party ads, analytics, measurement, and attribution.
Preparing for the Apple iOS 14.5 privacy requirements
It’s no secret that there is an ongoing public discourse around privacy in technology and marketing, with laws being passed more and more frequently around the world.
Yet, it’s clear Apple didn’t make this decision simply to answer a public outcry, in fact, Apple has been the leader of privacy-first software and devices before laws such as the GDPR and CCPA went mainstream.
“We believe privacy is a fundamental human right, and our teams work every day to embed it in everything we make,” said Apple senior VP Craig Federigh.
How the new Apple iOS app tracking transparency feature works
Facing increased attention and pressure from privacy organizations, Apple — along with other large tech companies —crafted a solution that goes beyond device screens and website browsers.
The Apple iOS 14.5 update requires an app tracking transparency prompt. App users can choose to allow the tracking and sharing of their data with app owners and third parties, no matter what the end user’s local jurisdiction recommends.
If a user does not opt-in, they will not be presented with the option again. This makes it even more important for companies to use a robust consent management platform (CMP) with options to customize the user journey within applications. By implementing a customizable CMP for their mobile apps, developers can provide users another opportunity to opt-in again.
Pre-prompts all companies to present a customized prompt prior to the app tracking transparency prompt. Pre-prompts are a chance to educate the user on why the app is about to ask permission for something. Since Apple only allows applications to ask for permission once, it is important to make the most with that chance. By allowing organizations to customize the image, text, translations, and branding of this pre-prompt, the OneTrust SDK helps you maximize your opt-ins without much developer effort.
To help maximize opt-ins, companies are turning to just-in-time consent prompts, also known as contextual consent prompts. The contextual consent notice breaks the longer privacy policy into short, manageable segments for consumers as needed.
For example, if a consumer is logged into their banking mobile application and would like to use the map feature to find the nearest bank, the application is able to ask for consent to use their location only when accessing the map feature.
Have you added in your app’s nutrition label?
Inspired by the nutrition labels on food products, Apple highlights the privacy details of each application. According to Apple, “You’ll need to provide information about your app’s privacy practices, including the practices of third-party partners whose code you integrate into your app.”
Apple showcased the labels as part of the WWDC 2020 keynote. On December 8th, the labels became a standard for all apps in each app store, including iOS, iPad OS, Mac OS, watchOS and tvOS.
Developers will need to submit information about all their third-party tracking and data selling activities in the Privacy Nutrition Label. The goal is to allow users to see exactly what personal information the app is collecting about them, as well as to whom the app is allowing access to that data. That includes names, email addresses, physical addresses, payment information, health data, and other types of information.
Not sure what personal data your app is tracking? After all, the average mobile app has six third-party trackers fueling some type of ad tech. Use OneTrust Mobile App Consent after scanning your application and to better understand the SDKs in your mobile app. Be sure to reference the scanning results and list out the information that is being collected from your business and third– parties.
Get ahead today
Other tech companies are sure to follow in Apple’s footsteps, making significant privacy changes of their own. But––you don’t have to handle these changes on your own.
OneTrust’s Mobile App Consent solution is designed to allow iOS app owners to scan their applications. From this scan, you can understand the data being collected for the required App Nutrition Label. You can also customize an App Tracking Transparency pre-prompt to display device permission notices for pre-release testing purposes. Additionally, you can use the tool to measure the impact of app tracking transparency prompts.
Reach out today to schedule a demo to learn how OneTrust can help support Apple iOS 14.5 Privacy Requirements compliance!