Apple Inc.

Apple has paradoxically become one of the most influential companies in AdTech despite positioning itself as a privacy champion. Through iOS App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), Apple has fundamentally reshaped the digital advertising landscape, causing an estimated $278 billion impact on the AdTech ecosystem. While limiting third-party tracking, Apple has simultaneously built its own advertising business through App Store Search Ads, which benefits from first-party data and exclusive inventory. Apple's advertising revenue, though small relative to its hardware business, is growing rapidly with expansion into Apple TV+, News, and Stocks. The company's privacy-centric approach has forced the entire industry toward first-party data strategies and contextual advertising, while Apple maintains privileged access to its ecosystem's data.