Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

How has this been so effective, when Panopticlick still says my Safari browser has "a nearly-unique fingerprint"? (And based on what I've read from other users's experience, this is normal.)

Re: Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

#6

Post by nielsbot » Mon, Dec 09, 2019, 10:39 PM UTC

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #5

How has this been so effective, when Panopticlick still says my Safari browser has "a nearly-unique fingerprint"? (And based on what I've read from other users's experience, this is normal.)

I'd love to know this too--maybe fingerprinting isn't yet being used most places? Or maybe fingerprinting isn't that useful without additional cookie tracking?

Re: Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

#7

Post by jedberg » Mon, Dec 09, 2019, 10:40 PM UTC

I was talking to my friend about this the other day. He's an executive at an ad company (not Google). He had an interesting take on this:

Yes, it is in fact working and breaks targeting and retargeting. But what is the outcome of that?

The CPMs (how much the website makes) are 10x higher for re/targeted ads. So as they stop working, do you think the website will cut their revenue? No, they'll either put up a paywall, or put 10x more ads on their page. And those ads will frustrate you even more, because they aren't targeted to you.

And in the meantime, Google and Facebook will still know everything about you. It's just the smaller websites who suffer by not getting ad revenue. And they weren't even getting your personal data in the first place.

I still side with Apple on this one, but he has a good point. Overall what they are doing will probably just make things worse for everyone that isn't Apple, Google, and Facebook.

Re: Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

#8

Post by Someone » Mon, Dec 09, 2019, 10:42 PM UTC

Does this cover iOS apps, too?

If so, that could mean fewer iOS apps will get written.

If not, is that only on technical grounds (it may be easier to hide what data apps send out) or (also) because it is good for Apple if one has to write an iOS apps to better track users?

Re: Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

#9

Post by harikb » Mon, Dec 09, 2019, 10:43 PM UTC

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #5

How has this been so effective, when Panopticlick still says my Safari browser has "a nearly-unique fingerprint"? (And based on what I've read from other users's experience, this is normal.)

They say "nearly-unique" - I get an odds of '1 in 50,000'. Granted, that may be enough combined with IP or some other factor as a transient/session cookie. However the hash might change as soon as a plugin or some dependency is updated.

Re: Apple’s Ad-Targeting Crackdown Shakes Up Ad Market

#10

Post by manigandham » Mon, Dec 09, 2019, 10:43 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #7

I was talking to my friend about this the other day. He's an executive at an ad company (not Google). He had an interesting take on this: Yes, it is in fact working and breaks targeting and retargeting. But what is the outcome of that? The CPMs (how much the website makes) are 10x higher for re/targeted ads. So as they stop working, do you think the website will cut their revenue? No, they'll either put up a paywall,…

The problem is they had a great solution with advertiser ID which is already used in apps. Expose that to websites and they would get a good compromise for both sides.