Twitter has joined other developers by adding a prompt requesting users to enable tracking on iOS. As part of iOS 14.5, Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature requires developers to seek permission regarding the tracking of iOS users. Following the update to version 8.65, which adds support for Spaces, Twitter users will see a pop-up asking them to keep ads relevant by allowing the platform to track data from other companies, such as apps used and websites visited. Clicking the "Continue" button in the pop-up will take users to the App Tracking Transparency settings where they can opt out of tracking or permit tracking.
Apps have been required to ask for user permission for tracking purposes since the release of iOS 14.5 on April 26, but Twitter has not implemented support for this feature until now. Companies like Twitter and Facebook rely on user tracking to support their separate and profitable advertising businesses. The primary justification from the platform is that enabling the feature allows them to provide better ads, and they offer a link to a blog post in Twitter's Help Center explaining why permission should be sought.
Compared to other apps, Twitter's messages about tracking are relatively mild, unlike Facebook and Instagram, where Facebook has taken a much more aggressive approach to convince users. Facebook and Instagram have adopted a fear-based tactic suggesting that ads keep their social networks free. Among the reasons Facebook lists for users to enable tracking are personalized ads, support for small businesses, and help in keeping Facebook free to use.
Analytics indicated that 96 percent of users decline app tracking, with only 4 percent of iPhone users in the U.S. actively choosing to opt-in to tracking after the update to iOS 14.5. The company highlighted this feature as a potential risk in its recent earnings statement, stating: "We still expect our total revenue to grow faster than expenses in 2021, assuming the global pandemic continues to improve and that we see a modest impact from the rollout of changes related to iOS 14.5."
