How iPhone Apps Keep Tracking You Even After You Deny All Tracking

Independent research reveals that despite anti-tracking features introduced by Apple last year, some iOS apps still manage to track their users for advertising purposes. How ? Thanks to a technique from a subsidiary of the Chinese Alibaba.

A year ago, with iOS 14.5, Apple banged its fist on the table by introducing its ATT (App Tracking Transparency) feature on the iPhone. Designed to truly give the user the choice of whether or not to authorize the tracking of their activity for advertising purposes, this functionality steeped in good intentions has shortcomings… which some platforms have hastened to exploit.

A trick technique to cop us anyway

An independent study, the content of which has been analyzed by the specialized site Ars Technica (via 9to5Mac), tells us that a method is already used by many iOS applications to continue to track users without their consent.

The researchers behind the report focused on nine iOS apps. The latter use code, on the server side (nothing is therefore deployed locally on the application or on the iPhone), to generate a specific user identifier, even when the latter has refused all tracking using the ATT functionality. As reported 9to5Macthis code seems to be provided by a subsidiary of the Chinese giant Alibaba, which is then able to follow the generated identifier from one application to another.

Towards a new turn of the screw on the side of Apple?

This stealth technique thus makes it possible to maintain effective advertising tracking, in total violation of the user’s consent. And unfortunately, it could be quite widespread. Of the 1,759 apps tested in the study, a third say they no longer collect any user data, but 80% of them still include at least one tracking library, points out 9to5Mac.

It remains to be seen what Apple’s response will be. Because if its ATT functionality has already made it possible to reduce wild advertising tracking, it proves to be imperfect and does not protect iPhone users as well as expected. We know that Apple will present iOS 16 on June 6, during its WWDC, it is possible that the firm will add new features to its system to enhance the effectiveness of its App Tracking Transparency. To be continued, but it would be surprising if Apple stopped there.

Source : 9to5Mac