Date First Published: 4th February 2024
Topic: Computer Systems
Subtopic: Computer Software
Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions
Difficulty: MediumDifficulty Level: 5/10
Learn about what an advertising ID is in this article.
An advertising ID is a unique user ID assigned to a device that enables third-party tracking across multiple apps. This advertising ID is stored on the operating system and used to create profiles to provide personalised ads in apps. By analysing which apps users have installed and how they use them, advertisers can show ads relevant to user's interests and demographics, improving efficiency and increasing the chances of engagement. Unlike a web cookie, it tracks activity across apps installed on the device rather than across websites.
Although data linked to advertising IDs is not specific enough to identify a specific person, most people are still worried about privacy issues from tracking. To give users more control over their information, Android, iOS, and Windows all provide ways to reset the advertising ID at any time or opt out of ad personalisation. Opting out of it will make it harder to be tracked by advertisers and limit the amount of information that advertisers can use to target ads.
In the early days of smartphones, trackers used static device identifiers. They used the unique device identifier (UDID) on iOS and the "Android ID" on Android to track users across apps. They were constantly accessed by third parties without user knowledge or consent. This caused problems for user privacy and Apple began restricting access to the UDID in 2011.
In 2012, Apple introduced the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), which replaced the UDID. The main difference was that IDFA could be reset. Apple also allowed users to enable a setting called “Limit Ad Tracking.” This sent a signal to apps asking them not to track, but it had no effect on the apps’ ability to access IDFA.
Android introduced the Android Advertising Identifier (AAID) in 2013. Like Apple, Google made its identifier available to all apps by default, without any special permission. It also allowed users to reset their ad identifier, but not restrict access to it or delete it.
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