Facebook is once again involved in a controversial situation regarding user data tracking. The company’s behind WhatsApp put its major social media app on the headlines due to a recent change in policies that will prevent users from sending messages unless they accept the new terms. Now, the social media platform is trying to convince its iPhone users to enable ad tracking. It’s not uncommon to see Facebook and other related companies using ad tracking to personalize the ads to a person. Facebook uses it to show ads based on demographics, geographic location, interests, and activity.
In the end of 2020, Apple unveiled new privacy-centered changes forcing all app developers to explicitly ask users for permission to collect this data. Facebook, wasn’t very satisfied with this change. After all, the company collected this data under the hood, and now it will need to ask users permission for doing so.
Before the iOS 14.5 rollout, any app was able to collect data from its users as long as the users accepted the app or service’s terms and conditions. In light of the recent privacy concerns, Apple decided to tighten these policies to protect iPhone users’ privacy. After the latest iOS update, all apps need to ask the user if they will allow a certain app to collect his data.
Facebook, prepared a lawsuit to accuse Apple of anti-competitive behavior, but apparently, that wasn’t enough. The giant of the internet is now launching a new ad campaign. It invites its users to help small businesses through tough times. We don’t need to say that the ad takes a ride in the economic mess caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The video ad was released on Thursday with the following tagline “Good ideas deserve to be found”.
Facebook disabled the comments on its video campaign
Facebook is pretty aware of the backlash that it can get from doing a campaign like this one. For that reason, the company turned off comments for the video. However, they can’t turn off the dislike function. As you can imagine, at the moment of this writing, the video has far more dislikes than likes. Facebook’s intentions to help small users are just a disguise for asking users to let the platform continue tracking them for targeted ads. So far, the video ad has far more Facebook and Instagram users finding things to follow and buy than the precious small businesses it is trying to help.
The platform tries to push personalized ads like a new thing. However, Facebook was already tracking its users way before this update. It still is tracking those who haven’t explicitly opted-out from activity tracking for personalized ads.
While the company is asking users permission for ad tracking for its own reasons. We have to say that it has been helping some business since last year. The company is waiving fees for businesses who sell products with Checkout on Shops. Furthermore, it isn’t collecting fees for paid online events until August this year.
