Apple on Wednesday responded to complaints from Facebook about privacy disclosures and security tools built into iOS 14, saying the new activity tracking options showcase something users have never been offered: a default option.
Facebook on Wednesday issued a series of full-page ads in major U.S. newspapers denying Apple’s planned action on ad tracking protection. The social media company is positioning itself as a backer of small businesses – apparently victims of a war between giants – that are losing out on advertising revenue because of the rules .
“Small businesses deserve to be heard. We hear your concerns, and we stand with you,” the Facebook ad reads.
Facebook and other companies that rely on targeted advertising revenue are up in arms over new system-level features and developer requirements that, among other things, encourage users to choose to enter ad tracking. Currently, tracking is in many cases fundamental, leaving users opting out of such schemes. Data is king in the world of advertising, and Facebook is known to be accelerating its multi-faceted platform to pump users dry.
Responding to the attack announcement, Apple in a statement to AppleInsider said companies like Facebook are welcome to continue to monitor users, as long as those users have a choice in the matter.
“We believe this is a simple matter to stand up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across apps and sites- other networks – and they should have the choice to allow that or not, “Apple said in a statement AppleInsider. “The Transparency Tracking App in iOS 14 doesn’t require Facebook to take its approach of tracking users and creating targeted ads, it just wants them to give users choice. ”
Initially due this year but pushed back to 2021, the feature basically selects users out of ad tracking. Opening an app for the first time will throw up a permission dialog box with two options: “Allow Tracking” and “Request Apps Not to Track,” although Facebook went on to say that this discount is not enough .
Apple agrees and today went so far as to mock a graphic sample (seen above) that shows how Facebook could persuade opt-ins under the system Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). Facebook has so far refused to accept IDFA.
For consumers, app tracking transparency allows control over if, when, and how ad networks monitor trends within and across apps. For example, the user can revoke permissions to monitor at a later time in the iOS Settings app. The goal is to give users more control and transparency while maintaining a vibrant app ecosystem, Apple says.
In addition to IDFA and ad tracking protections, Apple this week released so-called “nutrition leaflets” that reveal what data an app collects and how it is used.
Update: Facebook is reportedly planning a second attack ad for Thursday, this time claiming that Apple is fishing to destroy the free internet. Gist the argument, according BuzzFeed’s John Paczkowski, says that websites and app makers will have to charge for content if the ability to run personalized ads is lame.