Accepting Cookies vs. Accepting ios14 Data Tracking
Compare accepting cookies versus saying yes to ios14 tracking. Are they actually the same? It can be confusing, but we are here to explain.
The information age has transformed our lives (mostly for the better). In a matter of seconds we have the answer to most of our burning questions. We can research a topic and become self-proclaimed experts within minutes. It’s the reason social media platforms work in conjunction with market growth. Just Facebook alone takes up 23.5% of U.S. digital ad revenue.
But at what cost is it all worth?
We dove headfirst into the bandwagon of internet browsing. As a result, our privacy has become jeopardized over time by data saving entities like cookies and ios tracking. Have internet users been taken advantage of? Absolutely. The good news is things are changing for the better with more awareness and better-implemented policies.
Read on to find out how ios14 data tracking has made internet users more aware of HTTP cookies.
Why websites use cookies
Imagine the last time you opened a website. You probably remember that annoying little pop-up reading, “Do you accept cookies?”. It’s likely you won’t pass the gates of internet browsing until you face this question. In fact, all modern websites utilize cookies to some extent so there really is no avoiding it.
Beyond its sometimes “sketchiness”, cookies are actually extremely useful. It single-handedly manages our online experience. It allows websites to remember us, save login passwords, and keep shopping carts filled. It allows us to be indecisive about that Amazon purchase before we’re ready to place an order.
It keeps note of user preferences. It even records and analyzes user behavior, which is right where the trouble begins. While safe cookie usage is convenient, there are many websites that, once upon a dark age, tracked you without consent. It’s the creepiest way of saying that someone is always keeping tabs on you, without you likely knowing.
Makes you second guess accepting cookies, right?
Why do we accept cookies so easily but deny ios14 tracking?
When HTTP cookies first entered our lives, it was like this foreign object that no one really dared to question or cared to understand. Over time, it became more convenient to click yes to accepting cookies than to spend time inquiring about its use.
There are plenty of online users who still click yes just to avoid conflict. They have no interest in disrupting their mission or reading why cookie usage is needed. Sometimes you’re so desperate for an answer that accepting cookies is the easiest decision you’ll make all day. What damage could it really do?
While we welcome advancements in technology with open arms, this doesn’t mean internet browsing should invade our privacy at such great lengths.
Not until recently did online users start to fully understand what cookies was all about. In truth, user privacy and data use have become major topics in recent years both among tech companies and advertising platforms. This has led us to a recent trend in authorization.
Like ios14, cookie laws have improved greatly by now acquiring authorization from its users. If you do still find yourself wanting to accept cookies, just be mindful it is doing the same behind-the-scenes work that ios14 does.
In today’s climate, it’s important for internet users to be wary of accepting cookies with the same apprehension they have for ios14. Whether you chalk it up to convenience or lack of care, the amount of data that cookies are holding should concern you.
According to a recent study by Pew Research Center, 81% of Americans think the risk of data consumption outweighs the reward. To say things lightly, the consumers have spoken. As the percentages show, there is a major lack of trust and understanding over data collected by both companies and the U.S. government.
Image source: cookieyes.com
Consumer response to ios14 data tracking
In April 2021, Apple released the ios14.5, the latest and greatest software update for your iPhone. What’s effective about this ios update is consumers now have a choice to allow or deny ad tracking. Apple users have caught on quickly to the invasive effects of data collecting, so much so that they have no problem saying no.
According to analytics guru, Flurry, the opt-in rate is low. Consumers today have better control over companies taking advantage of their data and browsing trends in 2021. Denying ios14 data tracking is easy.
https://twitter.com/lukedivita/status/1388995139553697794
It’s a step in the right direction for privacy. Big wigs and advertising platforms will have to face the music sooner rather than later. With more consumer awareness, the opt-in rate will likely continue to decline, thereby giving less access to consumer behavior.
How can digital advertising survive the pushback?
Image source: Marketing Tech News
As consumers become more informed, the choice to deny cookies and ios14 data tracking become easier. And yes, that means advertisers are taking a big hit. Facebook advertisers don’t need to fret or feel discouraged. There are many ways to boost your performance even with these changes. It’s important to note, data-driven marketing is not the enemy, but instead those who misuse it are.
Digital marketing means always finding ways to improve optimization, and the best way to keep up is by staying in touch with consumer opinion. Quite frankly, the best way for digital marketing to survive in 2021 is through contextual advertising and behavioral targeting. It’s a more wholesome approach — something we all can get on board with.
Outlook for the future
The most recent tech frenzy has resulted in consumers becoming more conscious of data-driven marketing and its effects of user privacy. Five minutes into watching The Social Dilemma and you’ll understand why privacy and data use is an issue worldwide.
However, for the first time in a while, the outlook for the future is commemorable. Consumers are not so vulnerable to companies that misuse advertising anymore. Enter a website today and you’ll see that you have the option of accepting cookies or denying it. Just as you now have the option to decline ios data tracking on your iPhone.
Leaving the control up to the user is a growing trend. In 2021, the power to deny or provide your information will be left to your discretion.
We hope this comparison was helpful and informative!
Thanks for reading and taking a vested interest in your online privacy. Be sure to give us a clap if this information helped guide your browsing experience. To keep learning about how the new ios14 feature is affecting marketers, check out the following posts:
