{
  "docId": "019dd923-622c-750b-8b97-b391eed1d446",
  "docSlug": "b67365e28a44",
  "documentTitle": "AppLovin (APP)",
  "authorId": "51_Muddy_Waters",
  "authorName": "Muddy Waters Research",
  "documentKindSlug": "activist-deck",
  "documentKindLabel": "Activist deck",
  "sourceTypeSlug": "short_seller",
  "sourceTypeLabel": "Short seller",
  "presentationDate": "2025-03-27 00:00:00",
  "orientation": "landscape",
  "aspectRatio": 1.7777778,
  "pageNumber": 23,
  "pageCount": 50,
  "prevPage": 22,
  "nextPage": 24,
  "slideType": "appendix_methodology",
  "function": "plan_implementation",
  "density": "dense",
  "nDataPoints": 0,
  "notes": "Includes specific technical instructions for using Chrome DevTools to inspect network traffic.",
  "elementsJson": [
    "headline_text",
    "numbered_list",
    "bullet_list",
    "paragraph",
    "footnote"
  ],
  "metadataConfidence": 1,
  "imagePath": null,
  "slideHref": "/slides/019dd923-622c-750b-8b97-b391eed1d446/23",
  "deckHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b97-b391eed1d446",
  "deckJsonHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b97-b391eed1d446.json",
  "deckAnchorHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b97-b391eed1d446#slide-23",
  "components": [
    {
      "bbox": null,
      "kind": "callout",
      "text": "This appears to be APP attempting to cover its tracks.",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": null,
      "toolName": "Visual emphasis",
      "toolSlug": "visual-emphasis",
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "019dd953-25b7-709e-b8c5-7ac095bbf2fd",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.06,
        "w": 0.9,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.68
      },
      "kind": "disclaimer",
      "text": "Note: subsequent to the publication by other recent short reports, we observed changes in the data APP is collecting, potentially collecting a smaller number of 3P IDs on Hume Health's. This appears to be APP attempting to cover its tracks.",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": null,
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "ff6e60fe-a852-4289-9487-a0e7150bab44",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.1,
        "w": 0.6,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.55
      },
      "kind": "list",
      "text": "These are labeled identifiers, like \"igID\", \"_isApplePay\" enabled,\nThe \"wrt3p\" field is normally Shopify event, the event type can vary.\n\"gorgias.guest_id\", \"RecartSessionId\", etc.",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": "bullet",
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "9c7e8761-ae91-487e-8eba-2674c3f388ad",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.25,
        "w": 0.6,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.22
      },
      "kind": "list",
      "text": "1. Go to one of APP's customer websites, e.g.: trueclassictees.com\n2. Right-click → select \"Inspect\" to open \"Chrome DevTools\"\n3. Add any item to cart, then click \"Checkout\"\n4. In DevTools, go to the \"Network\" tab\n5. In the search bar, type: b.applovin.com\n6. Click the top successfully loaded requests in the list. Successful requests are denoted as {:} pixel.\n7. Go to the \"Payload\" tab, then → Expand initData (open the arrow) → select \"cart\" → select \"attributes\"\n8. Look for entries with a \"key\" and \"value\" structure",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": "numbered",
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "2e851df5-2ff2-4c3c-bc3f-9c904acbb24d",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.03,
        "w": 0.8,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.5
      },
      "kind": "paragraph",
      "text": "*what \"keys\" are being collected will vary from user to user, but there will most likely be a 3 to 10 key items being collected.",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": "paragraph",
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "3030e948-5161-42e2-8adf-86ac9ec8d094",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.03,
        "w": 0.8,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.13
      },
      "kind": "paragraph",
      "text": "To see how APP collects identities fingerprints to create its PIGs follow the steps below (best results in US).",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": "paragraph",
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "82e3de36-6a3b-45ca-8bc0-773f4e112187",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.15,
        "w": 0.9,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.78
      },
      "kind": "source-note",
      "text": "1 We have seen high reproducibility in the US, but found other countries (such as Canada) may be blocked - even with a VPN set to a US ip address. In some cases where the user is on an unusual IP address (i.e. not where the user commonly resides or frequents) the ad retargeting may be delayed. We posit that this may be due to the algorithm's uncertainty of the user's identity in the new environment (as indicated by a new ip address).\n2 See Appendix Guide to Desktop Checking on Fingerprinting.",
      "attrs": {
        "numbered": true
      },
      "subkind": null,
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "4fc87a9f-b44f-42ee-917b-57f9f345c1fe",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    },
    {
      "bbox": {
        "h": 0.05,
        "w": 0.5,
        "x": 0.04,
        "y": 0.05
      },
      "kind": "title",
      "text": "How to Verify APP's Data Collection",
      "attrs": null,
      "subkind": "headline",
      "toolName": null,
      "toolSlug": null,
      "confidence": null,
      "componentId": "76c4d1fe-bf62-4bb1-b40a-dbc1059f6803",
      "frameworkName": null,
      "frameworkSlug": null
    }
  ],
  "metrics": [],
  "tools": [],
  "frameworks": [],
  "arcBeats": [],
  "loops": [],
  "imagePathAlt": null,
  "thumbSrc": null,
  "thumbSrcAlt": null,
  "locked": true
}