Facebook is publicly criticizing Apple’s upcoming iOS privacy changes in full-page newspaper ads today. “We stand with Apple Bridge for small businesses everywhere,” reads an inside ad headline New York Times, This Washington Post, And Wall Street Journal Today. Bloomberg News There are reports that the ads relate to Apple’s iOS 14 privacy changes that will make it more difficult for companies like Facebook to target users with ads.
Developers will need to ask iOS 14 users to collect data and soon allow permission to track them on mobile apps and websites on the iPhone and iPad. Apple Play planned to implement these changes with the initial iOS 14 release in September, but their implementation was delayed until early next year. These changes will affect Facebook’s advertising business, and especially its ad network for developers and businesses, as end users are more likely to dislike tracking prompts.
Facebook claims that Apple’s changes will be “disastrous for small businesses” that rely on its ad network to generate sales. Newspaper ads lead small businesses to Facebook’s “Speaking for Small Business” site, where a range of business owners talk about Apple’s changes. Facebook writes, “Small businesses deserve to be heard.” “We listen to your concerns, and we stand with you.”
While Apple Play did not respond directly to today’s newspaper ads, the company responded to similar Facebook claims last month. The iPhone maker accused Facebook of “disregarding user privacy”. Apple is adamant that its iOS 14 privacy policies will be implemented in early 2021, and has previously stated that it is “committed to ensuring that users can choose whether or not to allow them to track applications.”
Apple Play launched new App Store privacy labels this week, highlighting how iOS apps use your data. Notably, the privacy label on Facebook’s iOS app extends to many pages, listing all the data you can use to track you on apps and websites owned by other companies.
This full-page newspaper ad is the latest in public between Facebook and Apple Pal, ranging from privacy, policies and more. Facebook criticized Apple’s App Store policies earlier this year after the Mini Games feature had to be removed in order to pass Apple’s strict app store approval process. Facebook also welcomed the EU’s new Digital Market Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) this week. Both acts introduce new rules for digital platform holders, and aim to force the company to quickly remove illegal content from the web.
“We hope the DMA will set boundaries for Apple as well,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. CNBC. “Apple controls the entire ecosystem from the device to the app store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and customers, as well as large platforms like Facebook.”
