
This had an enormous impact on the tracking industry. In 2021, Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT), which requires apps to get affirmative consent before they can track users with IDFA or any other identifier. This meant that for the first time, users had an effective, technical opt-out of IDFA tracking. In 2016, Apple updated Limit Ad Tracking to set the IDFA to a string of zeroes - effectively deleting it. It also allowed users to reset their ad identifier, but not restrict access to it or delete it. Like Apple, Google made its identifier available to all apps by default, without any special permission.
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Apple also allowed users to enable a setting called “Limit Ad Tracking.” This sent a signal to apps asking them not to track, but it did not actually affect the apps’ ability to access IDFA.Īndroid followed suit in 2013, introducing the Android Advertising Identifier (AAID). The biggest difference was that IDFA could be reset - though this was only possible if users knew what to look for. IDFA was almost identical to the UDID it replaced: it was a globally unique identifier that was available to all apps by default. Then, in 2012, Apple quietly introduced the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). The industry had already begun to rely on data collection tied to UDID, and trackers scrambled to adapt to the change.
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A 2010 investigation by the Wall Street Journal exposed the extent of the issue, and in 2011, after a series of probing questions from US members of congress, Apple began restricting access to the UDID. This was rightfully considered a problem for user privacy. These identifiers were unique, permanent, and were frequently accessed by third parties without user knowledge or consent.

In the early days of smartphones, trackers used static device identifiers - the “Unique Device Identifier” (UDID) on iOS, and the “Android ID” on Android - to track users across apps. Set the “ Personalized Ads ” switch to the “ off ” position to disable Apple’s ad targeting. To disable it, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising : You also have the option to grant or revoke tracking access on a per-app basis.Īpple has its own targeted advertising system, separate from the third-party tracking it enables with IDFA. If you have granted apps permission to track you in the past, this will prompt you to ask those apps to stop tracking as well. This will prevent apps from asking to track in the future. You can set the “ Allow apps to Request to Track ” switch to the “ off ” position (the slider is to the left and the background is gray). Only apps that have permission to track you will be able to access your IDFA. Here you can disable tracking for individual apps that have previously received permission. To see which apps you have previously granted access to, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. Select “ Ask App Not to Track ” to deny it IDFA access.
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When you install a new app, it may ask you for permission to track you.

If you don't see an option to "delete" your ad ID, you can use the older version of Android's privacy controls to reset it and ask apps not to track you, shown below:Īpple requires apps to ask permission before they can access your IDFA. The Android opt out should be available to most users on Android 12, but may not available on older versions. This will prevent any app on your phone from accessing it in the future.

Tap “ Delete advertising ID ,” then tap it again on the next page to confirm. On devices that have this feature enabled, you can open the Settings app and navigate to Privacy > Ads. With the release of Android 12, Google began allowing users to delete their ad ID permanently.
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Here’s how to revoke tracker access to your ad ID right now: On Android This post explains the history of device ad identifiers and how they have enabled persistent tracking, identification, and other privacy invasions.īut first things first. Disabling it will make it substantially harder for advertisers and data brokers to track and profile you, and will limit the amount of your personal information up for sale. The ad identifier - aka “IDFA” on iOS, or “AAID” on Android - is the key that enables most third-party tracking on mobile devices.
