Ad tech firms see 11.7% of ad impressions hit by Apple’s Safari tracking block
Aditude reported that Safari on iPhones and iPads accounts for 11.7% of the ads its customers show and 11.4% of their ad revenue, while eCPMs fell 10.5% among readers who installed Apple’s latest software update. Only about 8% of users have upgraded to the update so far, but Aditude estimates the overall revenue impact at roughly 1% at this stage.
Publishers that rely heavily on programmatic advertising in Safari have seen little immediate effect, according to consultant Scott Messer, who notes that impact may grow as more users install the update. Some senior commercial executives at news publishers told Digiday they have not yet observed any impact, citing subscription‑heavy business models that reduce dependence on Safari‑based ads. Others warn that the block could hurt publishers with low direct‑sold inventory more than brands that monetize a large share through direct‑sold campaigns, and that vendors landing on Apple’s restriction list would exacerbate losses. Ad industry executives said they have been on edge since the unannounced change, noting that Apple’s lack of transparency makes it difficult to anticipate which tracking partners will be affected.
“The trend has definitely been more restrictive for anything that generates an identifier, specifically on Apple. It’s not going to get better. I would say it’s going to get worse,” Davide Rosamilia' said.
Apple’s earlier crackdowns on tracking in 2017 and 2021 wiped billions off the online ad industry, with Meta saying the 2021 change would cost it around $10 billion in a single year. Those precedents have left advertisers wary of further restrictions on identifier‑based targeting. The latest Safari update arrived without warning and uses a non‑public list to block major tracking firms.
What we know
Safari on iPhones and iPads accounts for 11.7% of the ads its customers show
Safari on iPhones and iPads accounts for 11.4% of their ad revenue
Among readers who had installed the latest update, eCPMs fell 10.5%
Only about 8% of users have upgraded their software
Aditude estimates the overall revenue hit at about 1% at this point