What are the changes with Apple iOS 17?
Apple announced the latest updates to iOS 17, which is released in September, 2023. Along with the standard improvements and usability updates, Apple are including an additional privacy feature that has some marketers in a spin: Link Tracking Protection (LTP).
What is Link Tracking Protection?
This is how Apple describes it in the press release:
"Some websites add extra information to their URLs in order to track users across other websites. Now this information will be removed from the links users share in Messages and Mail, and the links will still work as expected. This information will also be removed from links in Safari Private Browsing."
Link Tracking Protection means removing some URL tracking parameters from links when
- using the Safari browser, and when
- sharing links using Messages and Apple Mail.
Using Link Tracking Protection
The result of using LTP is that the response tracking for any messages passing through the Apple ecosystem are going to be reduced to anonymous numbers. This result, at first, seems like bad news for anyone with an interest in tracking how customers interact with links.
Example
URLs before using LTP:
https://example.com/ad_engagement?click_id=YmVhODI1MmzMNGU&campaign_id=23
URLs after using LTP:
https://example.com/ad_engagement?campaign_id=23
What to consider as an SAP Emarsys customer?
We are constantly monitoring and testing our links. Emarsys links are not yet under the spotlight. There are websites (e, g.: https://cunderwood.dev) that are monitoring which parameters will be removed, and Emarsys does not feature on the list.
One proactive thing you can do is to be diligent about doing the same. As always, we communicate promptly if we spot any changes that might affect our customers.
During Emarsys internal tests email campaigns were opened in Safari browser in private browsing and we were still able to track the links clicked.
As Emarsys continues to evaluate the situation, we consider focusing on capturing first- and zero-party data from customers at every touchpoint. Use this qualified information to deepen personalized engagements based on their given preferences and behaviors.
Additional considerations
- Lead with transparency and customer consent by allowing your customers choose how they want to be communicated with.
- Engage with customers directly with online forms, product reviews and ratings, and Loyalty rewards signups.
- Broaden your reach using an omnichannel customer engagement strategy with Digital Ads, and in-store.
For now, it looks like no Emarsys customers are affected by the release of Apple iOS 17.
What are the changes with Apple iOS 17?
iOS 17 has not got many significant features. Many of the best features, including NameDrop, FaceTime and Messages improvements, and the new Contact cards, require others using iOS 17. The only feature to watch is Link Tracking Protection.
If you have been in marketing for a while, you are familiar with the upheavals that can seem to be coming when Apple announces a new update. Who can forget the release of iOS15, with its impact on the tracking of email opens? Everyone adapted, and we moved forward. As of now, iOS17 is not poised to make a big impact on how we track customer behavior.
Your main takeaway
Privacy settings are tightening and can be expected to continue to do so as consumers demand control over how their data is used. As marketers know, it is important to prioritize gaining consumers’ consent to collect first-party data.
Robust data that customers turn over freely as part of a well-thought-out loyalty plan gives marketers the capacity to personalize experiences and delight customers and is the ultimate hedge against changes by big companies like Apple and Google.