IDFA changes
Apple's iOS 14 brought a few changes relating to IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) and SKAdNetwork for attribution. The IDFA (ID for Advertisers) is a device identifier on iOS devices that is used by advertisers to deliver personalized ads to a user. For iOS 13 and below, Nimbus SDK automatically fetched this identifier for you.
With iOS 14, Apple changed the way in which users can control the option to limit ad tracking. Prior to iOS 14, a user could reset their IDFA (ID for Advertisers) in the system settings of their device. They could also enable a function labeled “limit ad tracking.” Resetting the IDFA would generate a new, persistent IDFA for the device, while enabling “limit ad tracking’ would set the IDFA to zero. These settings applied globally across the entire device and all apps.
With iOS 14, IDFA settings are on a per app basis. That is, the user can allow the IDFA to be given to each individual app through a modal dialog box.
This operates on an opt-in basis: the user must explicitly choose to Allow Tracking for each app. Tracking is not allowed by default. An app can choose when to prompt the user for permission, and when they do so the dialog box will appear. App developers can include a line of text explaining what they will do with the permission.
The Nimbus SDK will never trigger or show this prompt. We understand you may want to strategically think about how and when you ask for this permission, and design accordingly. We leave the decision of where and when (or even whether or not) to request the IDFA permission up to the publisher.
If you decide to prompt the user to share their device’s IDFA, you can do so by using the AppTrackingTransparency framework. Regardless of whether you prompt the user for tracking permission, Nimbus will still make the call to fetch the IDFA for your auctions. This IDFA will be anonymized (zeroed out) if the user has not opted in to tracking. If they have opted in, their actual IDFA will be passed and then used in the auction.
More information can be found from Apple here, under “Asking permission to track.”
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