App developers cannot bribe users to allow in-app tracking, Apple warned, and apps cannot take action to attempt to influence what a user selects in the app tracking transparency notification.
As part of introducing App Tracking Transparency, Apple's role in providing users with the opportunity to prevent apps from tracking their activities for advertising purposes, Apple has outlined guidelines for developers to follow. As part of these guidelines, Apple lists the things apps can't do to get users to enable tracking.
Within the human interface guidelines of Apple's developer site, specifically in “Accessing User Data,” Apple has included a section explaining what developers cannot do in follow-up requests.
"Do not offer incentives for granting the request," writes Apple, as developers cannot "offer compensation to people for granting their permission." Developers also can't "keep features or content or make their app unusable until people agree to be tracked."
Developers are also prevented from seeing a pre-warning message that reflects the system's warning functionality, including creating a button that uses “Allow” or similar terminology on a pre-warning screen. Applications are also prohibited from viewing an image of the notice itself in a modified form, such as an image highlighting the "Allow" option.
Apps may display a pre-warning screen to convince users to allow tracking, but ideally they explain further details about why the user should allow this to happen, such as accessing advertising that matches their interests.
The screen should also have a single button to ignore it and display the system alert, and that button should use terms like "continue" or "next".
All apps submitted to the App Store must have App Tracking Transparency enabled, if applicable, starting April 26. Apple previously warned developers that any app found attempting to bypass ATT will be rejected by the App Store.
