Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#1

Post by ch_sm » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 11:34 AM UTC

Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?
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Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#2

Post by maccard » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 12:38 PM UTC

This is a bit of a stretch - the gist is that Apple is requiring opt-in consent to 3rd party tracking, and will start failing review for people apps that don't provide an opt in.

This isn't a ban on Free analyics SDKs at all.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#3

Post by stationfrocks » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 12:48 PM UTC

The question is: will it be possible to use facebook and firebase sdk's without the opt-in consent, provided that no use of the idfa is made? My understanding is that as long as the opt-in popup isn't shown, the device won't allow access to the idfa, and as such the sdk you're using does not matter. Both facebook and firebase's sdks seem to have fallbacks in place for when the idfa is not available.

This is to be taken with a grain of salt, and I'd love to see somebody more savvy on the matter confirm this...

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#4

Post by random5634 » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 12:51 PM UTC

Always the same apple bashing for doing what their users would or will probably like

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#5

Post by swiley » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 12:54 PM UTC

stationfrocks wrote: post #3

The question is: will it be possible to use facebook and firebase sdk's without the opt-in consent, provided that no use of the idfa is made? My understanding is that as long as the opt-in popup isn't shown, the device won't allow access to the idfa, and as such the sdk you're using does not matter. Both facebook and firebase's sdks seem to have fallbacks in place for when the idfa is not available. This is to be tak…

I would have been happy if facebook's stuff weren't usable by iOS developers without at least something user visible. I already gave up on the platform and switched to something sane though.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#6

Post by m_eiman » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 12:58 PM UTC

stationfrocks wrote: post #3

The question is: will it be possible to use facebook and firebase sdk's without the opt-in consent, provided that no use of the idfa is made? My understanding is that as long as the opt-in popup isn't shown, the device won't allow access to the idfa, and as such the sdk you're using does not matter. Both facebook and firebase's sdks seem to have fallbacks in place for when the idfa is not available. This is to be tak…

I suppose it's not just the idfa, it's any personal information you share with third parties.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#7

Post by _qulr » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 1:01 PM UTC

random5634 wrote: post #4

Always the same apple bashing for doing what their users would or will probably like

Where do you see Apple bashing in the article? It was an article targeted at app developers, offering them advice on how to adapt to the new rules.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#8

Post by akmarinov » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 1:04 PM UTC

maccard wrote: post #2

This is a bit of a stretch - the gist is that Apple is requiring opt-in consent to 3rd party tracking, and will start failing review for people apps that don't provide an opt in. This isn't a ban on Free analyics SDKs at all.

It's not a ban, but since all these 3rd party tracking platforms use the user's data to power ads, you have to show the opt in, which of course people will say no to, leading to the SDKs being mostly useless in your binary.

Compare that to Mixpanel for example, where they don't power ads, you can skip showing the opt in and have a useful analytics SDK.

Effectively the free SDKs need the data to make money for their owners, the opt in kills that and it might as well be a ban.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#9

Post by cassianoleal » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 1:25 PM UTC

akmarinov wrote: post #8

maccard wrote: post #2

This is a bit of a stretch - the gist is that Apple is requiring opt-in consent to 3rd party tracking, and will start failing review for people apps that don't provide an opt in. This isn't a ban on Free analyics SDKs at all.

It's not a ban, but since all these 3rd party tracking platforms use the user's data to power ads, you have to show the opt in, which of course people will say no to, leading to the SDKs being mostly useless in your binary. Compare that to Mixpanel for example, where they don't power ads, you can skip showing the opt in and have a useful analytics SDK. Effectively the free SDKs need the data to make money for their o…

> Compare that to Mixpanel for example, where they don't power ads, you can skip showing the opt in

Is this really the only criterion for requiring an opt-in? Tracking is bad for many other reasons other than selling targeted ads.

Re: Is Apple Banning Free Analytics SDKs?

#10

Post by ohreallysteve » Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 1:34 PM UTC

From my understanding, the iOS permission to track prompt is only if your app uses user device data for the purpose of targeted advertising by accessing the IDFA. There shouldn't be a problem if you disable the collection of IDFA and you can configure exactly that via Firebase Google Analytics [1]. I don't see a whole sale banning of free analytics SDKs but I do see a positive shift in forcing developers to have more awareness about what data is collected and what it is used for.

Edit: Per Apple's definitions of tracking, it also includes sharing user or device data with data brokers.[2]

[1]https://firebase.google.com/docs/analytics/configure-data-co...

[2]https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-...