Newly launched “App tracking transparency” feature of the iOS 14.5 has been causing trouble in Facebook’s revenue generating camp.
iOS users who have downloaded Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, would have probably seen a prompt asking them to opt in or out of app tracking.
With this newly implemented feature, users would need to provide consent before information collected about them from one app or website, can be shared with another.
Facebook, which has been a vocal opponent to App Tracking Transparency, now has no choice but to comply with Apple’s privacy policy, now that iOS 14.5 is publicly available.
To leverage the situation, and in an attempt to convince iOS users to give Facebook access to their data, Facebook has started displaying a pop-up message.
In the popup message, Facebook explains that iOS 14.5 requires developers to “ask for permission to track some data from this device to improve your ads.”
The message details three ways that users benefit from this type of data collection:
- Show you ads that are more personalized.
- Help keep Instagram/Facebook free of charge.
- Support businesses that rely on ads to reach their customers.
In a blog post on Facebook’s official blog, the social media giant refer to these popups as “educational screens.” The pop-ups appears on users’ screen right before the iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency prompt.
“To help people make a more informed decision, we’re also showing a screen of our own, along with Apple’s. It will provide more information about how we use personalized ads, which support small businesses and keep apps free. If you accept the prompts for Facebook and Instagram, the ads you see on those apps won’t change. If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you. Agreeing to these prompts doesn’t result in Facebook collecting new types of data. It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences,” Facebook said.
The second bullet point is especially interesting because there have been no indications that Facebook plans to offer paid versions of its applications.
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The point is in opposition to the company’s previous slogan of “It’s free and always will be” – a line that once appeared on Facebook’s login page, before it was removed in August, 2019.
While it should be noted that it is against Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines to offer users incentives for enabling tracking, some people would argue that Facebook is not offering an incentive, but rather an explanation on why it collects the data it collects.
Facebook says the prompts will begin rolling out in Instagram and Facebook applications over the coming days and weeks.
