Facebook logo displayed on a phone screen.
Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The day after launching an attack on Apple’s upcoming privacy change, Facebook is running a new ad asking consumers to consider whether they would pay for apps that are currently free.
Facebook ran newspaper ads on Wednesday, released a new website, and posted blog posts outlining the arguments against Apple’s privacy change, which it says “threatens the personalized ads that millions of small businesses rely on to find and reach customers.”
Apple will soon change the settings on users’ iPhones in the name of privacy, and it will fundamentally change the way mobile ads work on those devices. It takes a privacy option that was previously buried deep in users’ phones and puts it centrally when they open an app. This is expected to dramatically impact advertisers’ ability to target ads as they have been as people are unlikely to sign up.
Facebook has spoken out about the change since it was announced in June, to blame Apple is moving from the free, ad-supported Internet to paid apps and services, where Apple can take its 30% off.
A new Facebook ad, which ran in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post on Thursday, took a different turn: Suggesting content creators will have to turn to subscriptions to make up for lost ad revenue , and make consumers pay. for what was once free.
“Take your favorite cooking sites or sports blogs,” the ad said. “Most are free because they show ads. Apple’s change limits their ability to display personalized ads. Making ends meet will require many to charge a subscription fee or add more in-app purchases, making the Internet a lot of money. more expensive and free, high-quality content. ”
Wednesday’s ads introduced a new page on Facebook for Business, which features videos of interviews of business owners speaking out against the ad change. It also includes an explanation of what will happen, and a “toolkit” to post with the hashtag “#SpeakUpForSmall” to talk about the change.
Apple defended its policy change, saying it is “a matter of standing up for our users.”
“Users should know when their data is being collected and shared with other apps and websites – and they should have the choice whether or not to allow it,” Apple said in an email statement Wednesday. “App tracking transparency in iOS 14 doesn’t require Facebook to change its approach to user tracking and targeted ad creation, it just requires them to give users a choice.”