In April 2021, Apple introduced a feature that allowed iPhone users to choose not to be followed by different apps. Following the lead, Google also announced a plan to disable tracking tech in its Chrome web browser by 2023, and said it was working on limiting data sharing on Android phones.

The privacy measures introduced by Apple on the iPhone could have been less significant than initially thought. In spite of that, they are bringing some changes to the way online tracking is conducted, but also to the advertising industry.

Third-party tracking, which relies heavily on trailing internet users across websites they visit, is being incrementally substituted by what has been called 'first-party' tracking. Companies are focused on gathering information on what people are doing on their own website or app with user consent. Companies have practiced this kind of tracking for a long time, but the backlash against third-party tracking is making it increasingly important for the ad industry.

The collateral effect of first-party tracking is that companies that can collect a voluminous amount of data, due to their large number of users (such as Google and Amazon), are also well-positioned to offer their ad services to third parties. Therefore, the unintended effect of first-party tracking could strengthen the position of large tech companies. Topic: Digital Business Models

Source: New York Times