What is “Apple Private Relay” and how does it affect sender tracking?

Apple Private Relay is a privacy feature (included with iCloud+) that masks users' IP addresses and encrypts their web traffic. For email, Private Relay affects how senders track recipient location and device information through embedded content and links.

When users with Private Relay enabled click email links or load images, requests route through Apple's relay servers. This obscures the user's actual IP address and approximate location. Senders see Apple's relay infrastructure rather than the recipient's device.

For email marketers, Private Relay reduces the accuracy of geographic targeting and device detection based on click and open data. Combined with MPP for opens, Apple users become increasingly anonymous in engagement tracking. The trend points toward privacy first measurement that relies on declared preferences and conversion data rather than tracking infrastructure.