How does Apple's iOS 17.1 Release Affect Resonate?

What is iOS 17.1?

As of September 18, 2023, Apple released its seventeenth major iOS operating system which introduced several new features. Some of which continue to be designed to help users protect their privacy and keep their data safe.

What is changing and when? 

The most relevant enhancement since the release took place in mid September is the added Link Tracking Protection. This feature automatically removes tracking parameters from links in Safari, making it more difficult for websites to track your online activity.

To be clear, this should NOT prevent us from presently being able to capture and measure UTM parameters on our site tags, nor will it prevent our media tags from working since we’re presently not reporting Safari Private Browsing anyway.

Why has Apple made these changes? 

Overall, Link Tracking Protection is in support of online privacy. It has empowered users, shifted the industry landscape, and set a precedent for more privacy-centric practices.

What does this mean for marketers?  
Knowing these enhancements are a continuation of Apple’s privacy-first mantra, clients may be inclined to adjust their tag ops in that situation and stop using individually-identifying parameters if they happen to use them. However, if marketers choose to keep this practice going for the time being, our UTM parameters should still work just fine across the board, since they’re focused on measuring the campaign rather than identifying the individual.

How does this affect Resonate products? 

The good news is your insights are not at risk because we wouldn’t be able to report on Safari Private Browsing anyway. The only consideration to keep in mind for Resonate’s media and site tags is to look out for impartial counts when using a unique user tracking ID parameter.

***Please note that while we make regular efforts to review and update our Knowledge Base, the rapidly evolving nature of certain topics may mean that the information provided might not always reflect the very latest developments.