Facebook Targets Apple With Ads For Privacy Protection In iOS 14

It is not often that Apple is attacked head-on by an (ex) partner, the Californian company is too powerful. This year, however, this is the case for the second time: After Fortnite, Facebook has now more or less clearly declared war on the iOS provider.

There has already been a crisis between Facebook and Apple in the past few months, but now we can speak of an open declaration of war: The social network has placed full-page ads in the most renowned daily newspapers in the USA, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, in which Apple is attacked for the privacy changes in iOS 14. Apple has also responded to the attack recently.

“Destructive” for small businesses

Facebook declares itself to be a champion for smaller companies and criticizes that Apple’s “forced software update” will limit the possibilities of smaller companies to place personalized advertisements and to reach customers effectively. The changes “have an impact on large companies like us, but they can be devastating for smaller ones,” writes Facebook.

Specifically, this concerns changes to iOS 14: As of this version of Apple’s mobile operating system, developers have to ask users for permission if they want to collect data and track it across multiple devices. Originally, iPhone users should get this privacy protection in mid-September, but Apple has postponed implementation until next year.

Consumer’s Choice

Apple has already commented on it and took up the gauntlet. In a statement to The Verge, the company said, “We believe this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared with other apps and websites – and the choice should be made Have to allow this or not. The app tracking transparency in iOS 14 doesn’t require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted ads, it just requires them to give users a choice.”