Apple(AAPL) is set to introduce a new requirement for users to give explicit permission to apps to track them around the web, a move that has devastated Facebook, which relies on data collection to target ads.
Now Facebook plans to show a prompt ‘our own, along with Apple’s’ in an effort to show users how personalized ads ‘support small businesses and keep apps free,’ the company said in a Monday. update from an older blog post called ‘Standing Up for Small Business. ”
“As we shared in December, we disagree with Apple’s approach, but we will promptly show them to ensure stability for the companies and people who use our services,” Facebook said in the post.
In front of Facebook(FB), the stakes of Apple’s new privacy change couldn’t be higher. The social media company, which derives almost all of its revenue from advertising, has repeatedlywarned investors that Apple’s software changes could hurt its business if users deny tracking permissions.
In December, Facebook hit ads in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, saying the demand could be “ devastating ” for millions of small businesses advertising their platform. It tooheld a press event to get small businesses against the change and introduced a new hashtag to talk about it.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO and co-founder, hammered out a similar point last month during a conference call with analysts to discuss the company’s most recent earnings report.
“Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with the way our apps and other apps work, which they do on a regular basis, to show their own preference,” said Zuckerberg. “This is affecting the growth of millions of businesses around the world, including with the upcoming iOS 14 changes. Many small businesses will no longer be able to reach their customers with targeted ads.”
Although this last step may seem like another shotApple, Facebooktakes out Apple on its offering to each developer to explain why it wants certain tracking permissions. “We think people deserve the extra context, and Apple has said that teaching is allowed,” Facebook said in the blog post.
On Apple’s privacy and data web page, the company said developers are allowed to do this “as long as you are transparent to users about your use of the data in your explanation. … Apps should respect user consent settings and not attempt to manipulate people. mislead or coerce permission for unnecessary data access. “
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple declined to comment.
In a December tweetApple CEO Tim Cook shared a picture of what Facebook’s app tracking transparency messages might look like. Under the consent prompt, the sample language said, “Here, Facebook can explain, in addition to other screens, why users should allow tracking.” Users can then “ask the app not to track” or “allow”.
