September 2020: iOS 14 arrives and Apple’s privacy push begins
Covers September 2020. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: iOS 14 came out in September 2020, and alongside it Apple revealed App Tracking Transparency, a framework that would make apps ask for permission before tracking people across other companies’ apps and websites. Once it went live in 2021, it sharply cut the data available to social advertising platforms.
Plenty of local firms lean on Facebook and Instagram ads for leads, whether that is a kitchen fitter, a driveway company or a dog groomer. Because so many of their customers use iPhones, this change shaped how well those ads could be tracked and targeted.
What changed in September 2020?
iOS 14 brought new privacy features, including the option to share only an approximate location and alerts when an app read the clipboard. Apple also announced App Tracking Transparency, but pushed enforcement back to iOS 14.5 in April 2021 so developers had time to get ready.
Why did it matter for UK businesses?
Advertising on Facebook and Instagram depended heavily on following iPhone users across apps. Advertisers were told to expect less precise reporting and targeting, and that nudged everyone towards collecting their own data and tracking conversions from the server.
What to do about it now
- Run the Meta Conversions API, or similar server-side tracking, as well as the pixel.
- In Meta Events Manager, verify your domain and put your key conversion events in priority order.
- Judge campaigns on overall results, such as total enquiries and jobs booked, as well as the figures the platform reports.
Frequently asked questions
What is App Tracking Transparency?
It is an Apple framework that makes apps ask people for permission before tracking them across apps and websites owned by other companies.
Did the iOS changes stop social ads from working?
No. They cut the data available and made reporting less exact. Advertisers responded by using their own customer data, tracking from the server and widening their targeting.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? Our paid social service sets up Meta tracking properly so you can see which ads bring in work. Get in touch.
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