Facebook today attacked Apple in a series of full-page newspaper ads, claiming that iOS 14 privacy changes in terms of data collection and specific advertising are bad for small businesses (via Bloomberg).
Ads are running on New York News, Wall Street Journal, i Washington Post, includes the title “We’re on Apple’s Side for Small Businesses Everywhere.”
Earlier this year, Apple introduced several privacy changes that curb the ability of companies like Facebook to gather user data and target ads. In iOS 14, Apple has turned the “Advertiser ID” used by Facebook and its ad partners for ad targeting, a feature that allows for more transparency for users who prefer not to track applications and websites. The update only asks users if they want to accept ad tracking or avoid cross-application and cross-site tracking to provide targeted ads.
IOS 14 also has a prominent “Tracking” section in the privacy part of the Settings app, where users can turn off the option for apps to fully track them. Even if this feature is turned off, apps must ask permission to track users through apps and websites owned by other companies, which is a blow to silent tracking related to ads that is being performed behind the scenes.
Facebook has already warned that Apple’s changes would lead to difficulties, not only for its own business model, but also for small businesses that use its platform to advertise. Facebook claims that ads that show no personalized targeting generate 60% less sales than ads that target consumers.
Apple responded to criticism after delaying the launch of the new privacy measures, accusing Facebook of making clear its intention “to collect as much data as possible through first- and third-party products to develop and monetize detailed profiles of its users, and this disregards why users’ privacy continues to expand to include more of their products. “
Full page ads are the ultimate salvation from the increasingly hot tensions between businesses. Facebook has harshly criticized Apple in recent months, punishing the company’s app store policies, “protection as a gatekeeper,” and fee structure. He has also repeatedly filed allegations of anti-competitive conduct at Apple, such as for not allowing Messenger to be selected as the default in iOS.
With iOS 14.3, Apple introduced privacy tags from the App Store, which clearly tell users how they collect data from apps they can choose to download. Last week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp protested the App Store privacy tags, saying it could discourage users from using its app.