Facebook attacks Apple over iOS 14 ad privacy program in full-page newspaper ads
Credit: AppleInsider
The ads, headlined with "We're standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere" focus on Apple's ad tracking protection. Specifically, it takes issue with how Apple's changes will prevent tailored ads from being presented to customers.
"While limiting how personalized ads can be used does impact larger companies like us, these changes will be devastating to small businesses," Bloomberg cites Facebook as saying.
Generally, ad tracking is the technology that lets an advertiser know that someone buying a product from a certain place online, was driven there by an ad in, for instance, a game. To facilitate customer identification, and prevent the spread of personal data, Apple is implementing a random device identifier tag called an Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) which lets companies track the effectiveness of ads without gaining a user's personal data or pinning a purchase to an identifiable user for mass-collection.
Facebook is declining to use Apple's IDFA system. Based on what it collects for user data prior to roll-out of the IDFA system, the decision was likely made because using it and complying with Apple's terms of service for use would prevent Facebook from collecting as much data on its users as it does presently.
Facebook's Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner said in July that he was expecting to see a hit in profits from the initiative. Specifically, Wehner said that iOS 14 was going to "make it harder for app developers and others to grow using ads on Facebook and elsewhere."
The company is expecting to now see a 60% hit to advertisers' revenue from iOS 14, after previously claiming 50%. In its testing, Facebook said that some users running iOS 14 either see no ads delivered through its Audience Network program, or see ads that are less relevant.
In September, Apple delayed the roll-out of the ad tracking limitation feature. Release is presently expected in early 2021.
The text of the ad has been seen by AppleInsider and is as follows. All emphasis is Facebook's.
At Facebook small business is at the core of our business. More than 10 million businesses use our advertising tools each month to find new customers, hire employees and engage with their communities.Many in the small business community have shared concerns about Apple's forced software update, which will limit businesses' ability to run personalized ads and reach their customers effectively
Fourty-four percent of small to medium businesses started or increase their usage of personalized ads on social media during the pandemic, according to a new Deloitte study. Without personalized ads, Facebook data shows that the average small business advertiser stands to see a cut of over 60% in their sales for every dollar they spend.
While limiting how personalized ads can be used does impact larger companies like us, these changes will be devastating to small businesses, adding to the many challenges they face right now.
Small businesses deserve to be heard. We hear your concerns, and we stand with you.
Comments
Jail for Zuckerberg.
it must’ve been with the one that said, “We influence public opinion in ways you can’t even imagine.”
This approach by Facebook and Epic, two very large companies, both suddenly pretending to care about small, unnamed entities is an insult to the intelligence of the public. The public are not naive, they know the motivation for these rally cries is to serve the bottom line.
Regardless if the reader cares much for Apple, when the likes of Facebook go out with these messages it merely further draws attention to their own immoral practices.
Facebook is tone deaf, and internally a large and growing percentage of their own staff are dissatisfied with how Facebook runs its business, manages scandals, fake news and the abuse of user's trust.
Bulls***. They are desperately afraid of two things.
First that this will cut off a huge chunk of their revenue short term.
Second, that this WON'T hurt their customers and the lie that is targeted ads will be exposed. There is more and more evidence that the tracking and micro-targeting of ads that is FaceBooks blood supply simply doesn't work a thousandth as well as Facebook claims. Once that is exposed for all to see then Zuckerburgs empire will collapse. He knows it and is flailing around in a panic trying to stave off the inevitable.
Absolutely! I have tried completely disabling cookies, but far too many web-sites break without cookies. Very frustrating.
That said, if you are concerned about privacy, there are other insidious tracking methods:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/new-online-fingerprinting-technique-works-across-browsers
These (anti)social media companies should be required to put warning labels on their products like tobacco!
Warning! Using this service may lead to depression.
Warning! Use of this service has been shown to cause an increase in suicides.
Warning! This service actively discriminates and has a political agenda.
Et al.