With the arrival of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced what is possibly the biggest change around privacy when it comes to apps listed on its app repository. Called App Tracking Transparency, its a framework that makes it mandatory for apps to ask iPhone users for permission in order to track them, a process that would allow ad-tracking. Or in simple works, serving them targeted ads. Well, it appears that the latest privacy policy change is having the effect many predicted – not many people are okay with being tracked!

As per insights collected by Flurry Media, merely 4% of users in the United States opted-in for being tracked by apps in the second week after iOS 14.5’s release. In the first week, that number stood even lower. In addition to it, barely 3% of users agreed to restricted app tracking, which means these apps cannot ask users to track them. On a worldwide scale, the daily opt-in rate for allowing ad-tracking by apps stands at approximately 12% in the second week following the release of iOS 14. 5 update. Just in case you’re wondering, the data is based after sampling roughly 2.5 million iPhone users.

So, what does it have to do with Facebook?

Well, Facebook posed the biggest challenge to Apple’s proposed move months ago, despite facing criticism from within. The company even launched a massive campaign that sent out the idea that the App Store changes have less to do with privacy and are more concerned with profits. Facebook even called Apple a competitor that is using its control over the entire ecosystem to stifle competition and choke their ad revenue. And on top of it, Facebook also came forward with another major campaign which claimed that Apple’s move will seriously hurt small businesses.

Apple, on the other hand, was unwilling to budge and countered that users should have a choice whether they want to be served ads after being tracked. Following Facebook’s offensive, Apple even threatened that apps that don’t abide by the new App Store policies will risk getting kicked off from the app repository. Now that iOS 14.5 has enforced App Tracking Transparency framework and users are actually opting out of being tracked, Facebook (and Instagram) are sending signals that ad-tracking is what keeps these services free, and that they might be charged for using it in the near future.