Twitter Chief Financial Officer, Ned Segal
John Chiala | CNBC
Twitter CFO Ned Segal said on Wednesday that the social media company is feeling confident as it prepares for Apple’s planned privacy update to iOS 14, which will make it easier for iPhone and iPad users to block companies to track their activities to target ads.
“We look at the unique signal that Twitter has with a growing audience, with better formats and more relevance and the ability to make better use of that signal, much of which is not linked to a device ID,” said Segal, speaking at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. “We feel very good about our ability to leverage that combination.”
Apple’s upcoming privacy changes will inform users about tracking device IDs and ask if they want to allow it. Tracking is based on a unique device identifier on each iPhone and iPad called IDFA. Companies selling mobile ads use this ID to help target ads and estimate their effectiveness.
Apple said the move will take place earlier this spring.
Segal said the changes in the IDFA could really present an opportunity for Twitter to compete more effectively against its peers.
“IDFA, in a way, will level the playing field. We are in an industry where many have been much better than Twitter historically in taking advantage of all the data that was available to them, from device identification to what people were doing on other sites, “said Segal. “When we all have the same set of new challenges that we have to face, leveling the playing field will be a really interesting impact on the industry as a whole.”
Segal said Twitter is planning to sit back and wait, instead of immediately asking its iOS users if they want to opt in to IDFA tracking, as Facebook is planning to do.
“We don’t want to be in a hurry around the IDFA,” he said. “You only have one chance to ask someone if they can access the device ID to show them more relevant ads. You want to ask in a really careful way and you want to learn from the industry and the broader ecosystem before asking a question. like this. “