YouTube announced that it will soon prompt iOS users to choose whether they want to enable tracking for more personalized advertising within its app. This decision comes as part of YouTube’s effort to align with iOS 14.5 and later, which requires apps to obtain explicit user consent before tracking their activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
The prompt, expected to roll out imminently, will present iOS users with a one-time message upon opening the YouTube app. Users will be asked to either ‘Allow’ or ‘Ask App Not to Track’ their activity. Opting to ‘Allow’ will enable YouTube to link user activity from its app with that from non-Google apps and websites. This linkage aims to deliver personalized ads and improve ad measurement accuracy, enhancing the overall ad experience for users who opt in.
According to a spokesperson from YouTube, users who opt in can expect a tailored advertising experience that reflects their interests more accurately. This move is also touted to benefit creators on the platform by facilitating better ad performance measurements. However, YouTube Premium subscribers and users with child accounts on YouTube will not encounter this prompt, as per the company’s statement.
For those who choose ‘Ask App Not to Track,’ YouTube will restrict ad personalization to first-party Google data only. This may result in less relevant and potentially repetitive ads, reflecting a less personalized ad experience compared to those who opt in.
Users will retain the flexibility to change their decision at any time through their iOS device settings under Privacy & Security > Tracking. It’s emphasized that this choice solely affects ad personalization within the YouTube app and does not impact the broader personalized ads settings for other Google services or apps.
In summary, YouTube’s forthcoming prompt underscores its adaptation to Apple’s privacy-centric policies, aiming to balance user privacy preferences with advertisers’ needs for effective ad targeting. This step also reflects a broader industry shift towards more transparent and consent-driven user data practices.
For more details, you can read the original article on https://9to5google.com/2024/06/20/youtube-ios-allow-ads-tracking/
