LinkedIn will stop collecting IDFA data on iOS. The move comes after a policy change that Apple will implement later this year with the release of iOS 14.5, which requires developers to ask someone’s permission before using the data to track it on apps and websites.
“We have decided to stop collecting IDFA data from our iOS apps for the time being.” said the company in a blog post seen by iMore. LinkedIn expects the change to have a “limited” impact on ad performance, and that it will not drastically change the way advertisers run their campaigns.
LinkedIn’s approach differs from that followed by Facebook in response to upcoming policies. Facebook came up against the consent requirement shortly after Apple announced it at WWDC 2020, claiming it would harm its revenue and that of all small to medium-sized businesses that depend on its advertising network. In February, it took the extra step of asking iOS users to opt for activity tracking before the change takes effect. For its part, it appears that LinkedIn is hoping to avoid the kind of PR headache it encountered last year when it was sued for “secretly” reading the iOS clipboard data.