移动应用程序与定向广告：数据共享的竞争效应

Journal of the European Economic Association · 2025 · [{"name": "Ding Li", "affiliation": ["Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology", "Nanjing University of Science and Technology", "Nanjing University"]}, {"name": "Hsin‐Tien Tsai", "affiliation": ["National University of Singapore"]}]

中文摘要

摘要本文考察移动应用之间数据共享的影响，利用了 iOS 限制使用标识符追踪用户的政策。我们发现，这一限制使平均新增下载量下降 3.96%。该效应主要由两类主体驱动：一是严重依赖第三方数据获取用户的大型应用（由此产生重叠效应），二是缺乏第一方数据的开发者（由此导致信息优势不足）。然而，在该限制实施后，新应用推出数量下降，尤其是首次开发者推出的新应用减少，这意味着大型在位应用长期可能获得更强的主导地位，从而抵消其因用户获取渠道受限而下降的市场集中度。

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the impact of data sharing among mobile apps, leveraging iOS’s policy that limits tracking users using identifiers. We find that this restriction decreases average new downloads by 3.96%. The effect is primarily driven by large apps that heavily rely on third-party data to acquire users (resulting in overlapping effects), and developers who lack first-party data (resulting in a lack of information advantage). However, new app introductions, particularly by first-time developers, decrease following the restriction, implying that large incumbent apps may gain increased dominance in the long run and offset their reduction in market concentration from user acquisition.