Skip to main content

Choosing Your Consent Management Strategy

Integrating a Consent Management Platform (CMP) or handling user consent is crucial for compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and other data protection laws. The Zeotap iOS SDK offers flexibility in how you manage and communicate user consent choices. This guide helps you choose the best approach for your iOS app implementation.

Understanding the Core Concept​

The primary goal is to ensure that the Zeotap SDK only collects and processes user data when you have obtained the necessary consent from the user. The SDK needs to know whether consent has been given for specific purposes (like analytics, personalization, advertising) before it activates its tracking and data collection features.

Available Strategies​

  • How it works: You initialize the SDK without any specific consent configuration (useConsent(value: false)). The SDK assumes consent is granted and starts tracking immediately upon initialization.
  • When to use: Only suitable if your app does not fall under regulations requiring explicit user consent (e.g., purely informational apps with no user tracking, or apps operating exclusively outside jurisdictions like the EU). This is generally not recommended for most modern mobile applications.
  • Pros: Simplest setup with minimal configuration.
  • Cons: High risk of non-compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR/CCPA. Lack of user control over data collection.
// Default behavior - no consent management
var collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .build()

Collect.initialize(option: collectOptions)
  • How it works: You integrate a third-party CMP (like OneTrust, TrustArc, Didomi, Sourcepoint, etc.) that adheres to the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) v2.2 standard. The Zeotap SDK automatically detects the TCF data stored by the CMP, reads the user's consent choices, and acts accordingly.
  • When to use:
    • You operate in regions covered by GDPR or similar regulations requiring granular consent.
    • You use other advertising or marketing technologies that also rely on the TCF standard.
    • You want a robust, standardized way to manage consent across multiple vendors.
  • Implementation:
    • Implement your chosen TCF v2.2 compliant CMP in your iOS app.
    • Configure the Zeotap SDK with useConsent(value: true) and checkForCMP(value: true).
    • Optionally specify purposesForTracking to define which TCF purposes are required for tracking.
    • The SDK will automatically read TCF consent data stored by the CMP. No specific setConsent call is usually needed unless you have custom requirements.
  • Pros: Industry standard, widely supported, handles complex consent strings, integrates with multiple vendors.
  • Cons: Requires integrating and potentially paying for a third-party CMP.
// TCF CMP integration
var collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .useConsent(value: true)
    .checkForCMP(value: true)
    .purposesForTracking(value: [1, 3, 4]) // Store/access info, personalization, content selection
    .checkZeotapVendorConsent(value: true) // Optional: also check vendor consent
    .build()

Collect.initialize(option: collectOptions)

3. Using the setConsent API (Manual/Custom Implementation)​

  • How it works: You implement your own consent mechanism (e.g., a custom consent dialog or integration with a non-TCF CMP). When a user provides or updates their consent preferences, you explicitly call the setConsent() method, passing the user's choices.
  • When to use:
    • You have a custom-built consent UI or system.
    • You are using a CMP that doesn't support TCF v2.2 but provides its own API to access consent status.
    • You need fine-grained control over when and how consent information is passed to the Zeotap SDK.
    • You want to implement a simple opt-in/opt-out mechanism.
  • Implementation:
    • Build or integrate your consent UI/mechanism.
    • Configure the SDK with useConsent(value: true) and checkForCMP: false.
    • When the user makes a choice (e.g., taps "Accept All", "Reject All", or customizes settings), retrieve the consent status.
    • Call setConsent() with the appropriate consent data.
  • Pros: Flexible, allows integration with any system, full control over user experience.
  • Cons: Requires more development effort to build and maintain the consent logic and UI. You are responsible for correctly interpreting and translating consent signals.
// Custom consent management
var collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .useConsent(value: true)
    .checkForCMP(value: false)
    .build()

Collect.initialize(option: collectOptions)

// Later, when user provides consent
Collect.getInstance()?.setConsent([
    "track": true,
    "identify": true
])

// Or when user denies consent
Collect.getInstance()?.setConsent([
    "track": false
])

Key Considerations​

  • Timing: Ensure the consent mechanism completes user input before the Zeotap SDK sends tracking calls. The SDK can queue events until consent is determined.
  • Updates: Your implementation should handle changes in user consent preferences over time. If a user revokes consent, subsequent tracking calls will be blocked. Both TCF CMPs and the setConsent method support updating consent status.
  • Region-Specific Logic: You might need different consent mechanisms or defaults depending on the user's geographic location (e.g., GDPR for EU users). Your app logic needs to handle this.
  • App Store Compliance: Ensure your consent implementation meets App Store requirements for privacy and data collection disclosure.

Configuration Examples​

Basic Opt-Out Implementation​

// Simple opt-out mechanism
var collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .optOut(value: false) // Allow tracking by default
    .build()

// If user opts out later
collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .optOut(value: true) // Disable all tracking
    .build()
// Custom consent with additional brand consents
var collectOptions = CollectOption()
    .writeKey(value: "YOUR_WRITE_KEY")
    .useConsent(value: true)
    .checkForCMP(value: false)
    .build()

Collect.initialize(option: collectOptions)

// When user grants consent
Collect.getInstance()?.setConsent([
    "track": true,
    "newsletterOptIn": true,
    "personalizationConsent": false,
    "marketingConsent": true
])

By carefully considering your regulatory requirements, technical infrastructure, and desired user experience, you can choose the most appropriate consent management strategy for integrating the Zeotap iOS SDK. Using a TCF v2.2 compliant CMP (Option 2) is often the most robust and future-proof solution for businesses operating internationally.

Last updated on