Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) is a privacy feature that limits cross-site tracking by restricting cookies.

Why it matters

Reduces the effectiveness of third-party cookies in tracking.
Impacts digital marketing and analytics strategies.

How to measure

Analyze changes in attribution metrics.
Monitor shifts in user engagement over time.

Details

Introduced by Apple, Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) is designed to enhance user privacy by limiting the ability of websites to track users across different sites using cookies. This feature primarily affects third-party cookies, which are often used in advertising and analytics to build user profiles and track user behavior. For mobile engineers and growth teams, this means adapting strategies to ensure accurate attribution and user engagement metrics.

ITP affects how cookies are stored and accessed, often reducing their lifespan or blocking them entirely. As a result, marketers and developers need to explore alternative tracking methods, such as server-side tracking or leveraging first-party data, to maintain effective user tracking and attribution.

Examples & formulas

For example, a company relying on third-party cookies for retargeting may see a decrease in conversion rates due to ITP. Adjusting strategies to focus on first-party data collection can mitigate this impact.

Common mistakes

Relying solely on third-party cookies; instead, use first-party data.
Ignoring ITP updates; stay informed to adapt strategies accordingly.