Hi gadgetmanBrian readers! Today’s tip is about an iOS/iPadOS feature called App Tracking Transparency (known as ATT). This is an iPhone (and iPad) system that allow apps to track you across other apps and web sites that are not part of the original app you are using.

An example of this is Facebook. The Facebook app you have installed on your iPhone doesn’t just track what you are doing in the Facebook app itself; it tracks your use of ‘other’ apps, like Snap, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, etc.

Not only that, but it can track the websites you visit in Safari, your location, and any other information the app’s developers want to track. It uses this information to sell advertising, sell personal data, identify other apps to buy, and as part of your overall social profile.

This kind of app tracking is done without explicit permission from the user, when you agree to the Terms & Service (T&S) of any app or service, you are granting permission to collect all kinds of personal data, and of course most people never read the T&S.

A few years ago Apple identified this as a potential risk to privacy, and an opportunity to give users more control. iOS now has built in tools to allow you to proactively control how this tracking works on your phone.

In Settings -> Privacy there is a section called Tracking (see below), and it’s placement near the top of this page shows its importance to Apple. Click Tracking, and you see a button that will allow apps to ask permission to track you. I have mine set to Off (not green); I do not want to be tracked, and I do not want apps to have the ability to even ask to track me, these requests are automatically denied.

If you turn this On (green), you will see notifications from apps asking your permission to track you, and as you can see Apple has a link to more information; https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025. If you do want apps to ask you about tracking, leave this on. You’ll see which apps want to track you and gives you control over which ones stay on.

Online and electronic device privacy is very important, and this is just one tool to help give you control.

Enjoy!