NAI: Delay in IDFA implementation does not address harm to developers and disparate benefit to Apple

WASHINGTON, DC (September 3, 2020) – The Network Advertising Initiative released the following statement by NAI President & CEO Leigh Freund. Apple today announced that it will delay implementation of its requirement that consumers opt in on an app-by-app basis to use an anonymized identifier for personalized advertising (IDFA). Apple is delaying the measures in iOS 14 until early 2021 to give advertisers and app publishers more time to prepare

“While this postponement is a positive development, it doesn’t address the underlying concerns from NAI and across the digital advertising ecosystem. Apple intends to force consumers to opt-in to receive tailored advertising from third-party advertisers, while Apple will continue to track consumers by default, using their platform as a competitive advantage to enhance their own digital advertising revenue.   Requiring app-by-app opt-in while Apple continues tracking across apps will create unnecessary confusion and lead to economic hardship for app developers. It could lead to a dramatic decrease in the availability of ad-supported apps, which consumers overwhelmingly prefer.”

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ben Ogden-Lord
media@networkadvertising.org
202-470-5367