iCloud Private Relay Marks the End of User Fingerprinting, Say Advertisers
Advertisers view Apple's iCloud Private Relay as the final blow to user fingerprinting on iOS, sparking a new technical cat-and-mouse game. The feature masks web traffic through two relays, though its current limitations leave room for tracking workarounds.
Apple's iCloud Private Relay represents the next major step in the company's ongoing battle against user tracking, effectively acting as the final nail in the coffin for fingerprinting on iOS. By bouncing internet traffic through two separate relays before delivering content to the user, the feature successfully masks user identities and activity from advertisers and data brokers.
Advertisers express mixed reactions to this technical blockade, with some viewing it as a mere obstacle to bypass with tricky coding, while others see it as the definitive end of iOS fingerprinting. Industry experts note that because the current version primarily applies to web traffic and remains limited to paying iCloud+ subscribers, ad tech vendors still have a small window to exploit tracking loopholes.
This dynamic sets the stage for a continuous cat-and-mouse game between Apple and the advertising industry. Rather than aggressively enforcing its App Tracking Transparency policies, Apple simply relies on Private Relay to technically block tracking attempts altogether, forcing advertisers to adapt to an increasingly strict privacy-focused ecosystem.