New wave of App Store rejections suggests iOS 14.5, new iPad may be imminent

Apple has begun rejecting app submissions that do not follow its updated privacy policies regarding device fingerprinting and user tracking, according to a report in Forbes. This move strongly suggests that the release of iOS 14.5—and possibly new hardware products—is imminent.

This message to developers makes it clear that affected apps are in violation because they use a technique that seeks to track the user without consent (device fingerprinting). A few months ago, Apple announced plans to implement "App Tracking Transparency," which would require apps to request user opt-in to track them using IDFAs, a common tracking tool that is vital for many targeted advertising techniques. This change drew the ire of Facebook and other companies who rely on that type of tracking to maximize advertising revenue. But it's also clear that App Tracking Transparency means that apps that seek to nonconsensually track users by any means, IDFA or otherwise, are going to face rejection. Device fingerprinting has often been used as an alternative to IDFA when users or platforms prevent the use of the latter.