I recently discovered the "ad tracking" feature which was implemented in one of the previous iOS updates. Initially, I was under the impression that this feature only functioned within each individual app (for example, "promoted tweets" on Twitter pertain to who or what a user follows, likes, or retweets). However, as I researched further, several sources claimed that apps such as Facebook and Twitter could view and record actions on other apps (such as search results, recently viewed pages, and interests that were not explicitly stated by the user on social media) in order to gather data on individual users and streamline advertising. Specifically, I read that so long as there is a Twitter or Facebook button embedded on a web page, the two respective apps could receive data from the site the user is visiting even if the user chose not to link said site to social media.
In summary, my questions boil down to this:
1) Do Facebook, Twitter, and other social media apps track my actions on other apps/browsers?
2) If so, is the data collected associated directly with my social media accounts (as in my username is directly paired with the data) or is it done anonymously?
3) Does hitting "Reset Advertising Identifier" in my iPhone settings clear all data gathered for the sake of personalized advertisements, or is the data still associated with my social media accounts?
Any and all help is appreciated, the idea that social media apps can clandestinely gather data from other apps and search engines on my iPhone is off-putting.
In summary, my questions boil down to this:
1) Do Facebook, Twitter, and other social media apps track my actions on other apps/browsers?
2) If so, is the data collected associated directly with my social media accounts (as in my username is directly paired with the data) or is it done anonymously?
3) Does hitting "Reset Advertising Identifier" in my iPhone settings clear all data gathered for the sake of personalized advertisements, or is the data still associated with my social media accounts?
Any and all help is appreciated, the idea that social media apps can clandestinely gather data from other apps and search engines on my iPhone is off-putting.
