They’d be the ones to actually believe that shit.
So, with iOS 14.5, Apple has added a few new features. Notably, the ability to block tracking by third-party sites; specifically it asks for user permission before allowing tracking by individual apps. Facebook, coincidentally, doesn’t like that very much.
And in response to this feature, they’ve gone and told their Facebook and Instagram users on iOS that the tracking helps keep both services free. Which, while technically correct, isn’t necessarily so; while it’s not hard to imagine that they make a mint on tracking data in various ways, they’re also a massive social network with a large number of ad partners. It kinda comes off just a bit skeevy.
The notices were first noticed by tech researcher Ashkan Soltani, who posted screenshots of the pop-ups on Twitter:
Granted, they’re not out and out saying you’d wind up having to pay for Facebook or Instagram if enough people blocked tracking… but they’re sure as hell implying it.
Facebook has gone on the record that these enhancements may:
…render Audience Network so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14. We expect less impact to our own advertising business, and we’re committed to supporting advertisers and publishers through these updates.
This is due to the fact that, should a user decline tracking, it makes the unique ISDA number used by advertisers and data collection advertisers verboten. While they’d still be able to serve targeted advertising to a user none of that information could be shared between companies.
For what it’s worth, Soltani notes that there’s no way that Facebook would be able to get away with charging for their services.
Source: PCMag
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