Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
65,321
33,599


Facebook has today attacked Apple in a series of full-page newspaper ads, asserting that iOS 14's privacy changes regarding data gathering and targeted advertising are bad for small businesses (via Bloomberg).

The ads are running in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, feature the headline "We're standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere."

facebook-full-page-ad-image.jpeg
Image via Dave Stangis


Earlier this year, Apple introduced a number of privacy changes that curb the ability of companies like Facebook to gather data on users and target adverts. In ‌iOS 14‌, Apple has made the "Identifier for Advertisers," used by Facebook and its advertising partners for ad targeting, an opt-in feature, providing more transparency for users who would prefer not to be tracked in apps and on websites. The update simply asks users if they want to agree to ad tracking or prevent cross-app and cross-site tracking to provide targeted ads.

‌iOS 14‌ also has a prominent "Tracking" section in the Privacy portion of the Settings app, where users can disable the option for apps to track them altogether. Even if this feature is toggled off, apps must still ask permission to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies, which is a blow to the silent ad-related tracking that has been going on behind the scenes.

Facebook has previously cautioned that Apple's changes would lead to difficulties, not only for its own business model, but also for small businesses who use its platform to advertise. Facebook claims that ads displayed without personalized targeting generate 60 percent fewer sales than ads that do target consumers.

Apple responded to the criticisms after delaying the rollout of the new privacy measures, accusing Facebook of making clear its intent "to collect as much data as possible across both first and third party products to develop and monetize detailed profiles of their users, and this disregard for user privacy continues to expand to include more of their products."

The full-page ads are the latest salvo in the increasingly heated tensions between the companies. Facebook has heavily criticized Apple in recent months, chastising the company's App Store policies, "stranglehold as a gatekeeper," and fees structure. It has also repeatedly leveled accusations of anti-competitive conduct at Apple, such as for disallowing Messenger from being selected as the default on iOS.

With iOS 14.3, Apple introduced App Store privacy labels, which clearly indicate to users how data is collected by apps they may choose to download. Last week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp protested the App Store privacy labels, saying that users may be discouraged from using its app.

Article Link: Facebook Takes Out Full-Page Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's iOS Privacy Changes
 
Last edited:

ajalbawab

macrumors newbie
Dec 16, 2020
2
41
It's a diversion tactic. Yes of course, personalized ads genuinely target people on a much smaller cost basis. Unfortunately, Facebook uses that data for other reasons. I'm interested to see if all the tech giants take down each other (domino effect) or if one giant, Facebook in this case, speaks up and loses popularity.

What's funny is that Facebook used a non-personalized ad in the Wall Street Journal - showing their ability to not need personalized ads! :)
 

Red Oak

Suspended
Jun 14, 2011
470
2,641
All you have to do is look at Facebook 6 page privacy “nutritional label” to see how invasive and corrupt Facebook is at its core.

Can you imagine being a Facebook employee and having to come up or defend this argument? Anyone of quality should head for the door
 

consumerDan

macrumors member
Feb 24, 2011
43
120
Georgia
So much honesty. So much transparency. So much invasion of privacy even for those that aren't even on their platform. Attempting to deflect a security measure that will stop their unethical practices and turn it as if it would harm small business. They will bend anything to fit their purpose and that is just unethical.
 

JM

macrumors 601
Nov 23, 2014
4,086
6,381
Yeah, I'm all for small business (or any business for that matter surviving), but to make a straw man out of Apple and accuse them of destroying small businesses, while claiming that "it's really for the best of small businesses that we should be able to collect your data and sell it for our profit", is just garbage.

What a joke. Facebook is no great savior of small business. What a gaslighting joke.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.