Small Businesses Take Big Hit from Apple's Privacy Regulation

University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business features groundbreaking research on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy, revealing severe economic impacts on small businesses. The study found that small, direct-to-consumer businesses experienced a dramatic 60% drop in revenue following ATT implementation. The research, led by marketing professor Daniel McCarthy and colleagues, employed rigorous methodology and found key impacts including a 37.1% decline in ad click-through rates and 37% decrease in overall advertiser revenues. This academic research provides crucial evidence for policymakers grappling with the complex tradeoffs between privacy protection and economic innovation.