In order to make sure more privacy and security for its users, Apple will add an anti-link tracking parameters feature in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma. Present in Safari and in the Mail and Messages applications, the novelty will be able to detect parameterized URLs and remove such parameters automatically. In this article, you will find out all the information related to iOS 17 tracking parameters and how does it work.
What are the iOS 17 Tracking Parameters?
Apple recently announced new versions of its operating systems, among which is iOS 17. This new version of its mobile operating system comes with several improvements, but one of the privacy features that have been added to it is the elimination of tracking parameters.
Tracking parameters are an integral part of the web links we click on today, and if we realize, more than once we have copied and pasted a link that seems to be unnecessarily long, it would even be also possible to delete more than half of it and the link works.
In most cases, these extra “pieces” of links are part of the user tracking system by social networks and other places, something that generally does not bother us in our daily lives, but obviously, it is one of these things that we prefer not to have.
In principle, this behavior reaches iOS but it will be extended to all the company’s operating systems, so it should not take long to see how we also have this protection in macOS Sonoma, for example.
How does iOS 17 Tracking Parameters Work?
Apple has added more features to safeguard privacy in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, and one of them is Link Tracking Protection to automatically activate private browsing when using Mail, Messages, and Safari.
To do this, the company has added a technology that detects user-identifiable tracking parameters in the links and deletes them. These parameters in the URLs are used by advertisers and data analysis companies to track the activity of Internet users on the web.
A tracking identifier at the end of the link replaces the function of storing third-party cookies. Apple says that Safari will now detect the parts of the links that are used to identify users and remove them, leaving just the normal URL
This feature is not very effective for advertisers who need to measure the success of their marketing campaigns. For this reason, the firm has thought of an alternative which is the possibility of measuring the clicks made in private browsing mode. In this way, advertisers can perform metrics, but without revealing user activity.
That is all you need to know about what are the iOS 17 Tracking Parameters and how does it work. In the meantime, do not forget to check out our other iOS 17 Guides here: iOS 17 Supported Devices: Will Your iPhone Get It, and How to Remove or Uninstall iOS 17 Beta from iPhone.