Facebook Testing Notification To Users About Apple Privacy Changes (axios.com) 32
Facebook is testing a notification that notifies Apple iOS users about ways the tech giant uses their data to target personalized ads to them. Axios reports: The test is happening in light of upcoming changes to Apple's privacy settings that will make it harder for Facebook and others to collect data on Apple users for ad targeting. Facebook warned investors last week that changes to Apple's "Identifier for Advertisers" (IDFA) user tracking feature will likely impact its business. The feature asks Apple iOS users to opt-in to having their data collected, instead of asking them to opt-out. Developers forecast that only around 10-30% of users will actually opt-in to having their data collected, making it much harder for advertisers to target potential Apple customers without as much access to their data.
Details: In an updated blog post, Facebook says it will be showing their prompt "to ensure stability for the businesses and people who use our services." The prompt, which provides information about how Facebook uses personalized ads, will be shown to users globally on Facebook and Instagram. In the post, Facebook says that if users 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." The tech giant notes that Apple has said that providing education about its new privacy changes is allowed.
Details: In an updated blog post, Facebook says it will be showing their prompt "to ensure stability for the businesses and people who use our services." The prompt, which provides information about how Facebook uses personalized ads, will be shown to users globally on Facebook and Instagram. In the post, Facebook says that if users 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." The tech giant notes that Apple has said that providing education about its new privacy changes is allowed.
Facebook is a platform to sell your data. (Score:1)
Re: Facebook is a platform to sell your data. (Score:4, Insightful)
I agree.
And how often has ads really been relevant to me? Maybe when there's a unique one off event happening within reasonable travel distance or for something completely new that hasn't been seen before but is very useful.
But ads for bread and butter stuff like dishwashers or toilet paper is a waste of effort and money.
Animated ads with a lot of flashing or stupid acting is a deterrent for that product.
Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)
Thing is this is already the case with GDPR. They need explicit, informed, opt-in permission to track you this way.
So either they are saying that they are already screwed this badly in Europe and somehow managed to survive anyway, and just want to make more money in an immoral and unwanted way, or they are admitting to massive GDPR violations.
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)
Thing is this is already the case with GDPR. They need explicit, informed, opt-in permission to track you this way.
So either they are saying that they are already screwed this badly in Europe and somehow managed to survive anyway, and just want to make more money in an immoral and unwanted way, or they are admitting to massive GDPR violations.
I think you're missing an important distinction here.
Users in the EU were more or less given an all-or-nothing choice: opt-in to everything or stop using the service. The choice was akin to a traditional veto. They can have their cake, but only in the way that Facebook gives it to them.
Apple's users are being given the choice to continue using the service while not opting-in to Facebook's tracking. The choice is akin to a line item veto. They can have their cake and eat it too, regardless of how Facebook wants to give it to them.
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Informative)
If true that is also illegal under GDPR. Consent must be freely given, not coerced. If consent is not necessary to provide the service then they can't refuse to provide it without consent.
Re: (Score:3)
I don't get it. Isn't consent necessary to provide the service? As in, if everyone said no, Facebook would have to shut down--no?
Or is the idea that Europeans should have a completely free service, subsidized by the data of the American users?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
No the idea is you get to keep your privacy. Whether that involves some firm's business model or not is irrelevant. It could just as well be a europa.eu site.
The real problem with the GDPR is it is designed by cyber-illiterate people.
Re: (Score:3)
The idea is that if you offer a free service then it doesn't automatically entitle you to everyone's data. That business model is banned, you have to ask them and if few people see any value in sharing their data with you then too bad, your business model isn't viable.
Think Again (Score:1)
If true that is also illegal under GDPR. Consent must be freely given, not coerced.
*Apple provides a way to give consent freely*
"That's illegal! Apple must provide a way to give consent freely!".
Sigh.
Re: (Score:3)
I was referring to the "veto" idea, where the company can make giving consent a requirement of using a free service. They can't.
Re: (Score:1)
I was referring to the "veto" idea, where the company can make giving consent a requirement of using a free service.
Why were you doing that when it does not relate to Apple whatsoever?
Re: (Score:2)
Because the person I was replying to brought it up.
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Informative)
Apple is making it harder for Facebook to track every move I make? ... (clicks notification away) ... Cry me a river ...
Not even that. Apple is making changes so that users have more options and can opt out of certain tracking. If Facebook users want to allow Facebook to keep tracking them as normal, they can. Apple is just giving users the choice of opting out.
Could they test a new button at the same time? (Score:5, Funny)
One that says 'Eat Shit' or 'Fuck Off, I Don't Care About Your Problems, Stop Tracking Me'
I'd sign up for multiple accounts if I could hit THAT button a few times.
Re: (Score:3)
One that says 'Eat Shit' or 'Fuck Off, I Don't Care About Your Problems, Stop Tracking Me'
That exists, it's called don't sign up in the first place.
Re:Could they test a new button at the same time? (Score:5, Informative)
That exists, it's called don't sign up in the first place.
I thought it was pretty well established that Facebook tracks people across the net who have not signed up for Facebook.
https://www.wired.com/story/wa... [wired.com]
https://www.newsweek.com/faceb... [newsweek.com]
Re: (Score:3)
It also makes it hard for them to advertise to me when I don't see any of their ads.
Re: (Score:2)
But your demographic information exists and probably still useful to them in some way. Merely existing on the internet means that at some point, you'll probably connect with some service that links back to facebook whether you know it or not. Maybe you don't see their ads, but maybe you buy something from a company that uses facebook cookies/advertising, and they can use the shadow profile they've built for you to feed their algorithm that determines the kind of person they should sell to.
This has always be
Re: (Score:2)
Merely existing on the internet means that at some point, you'll probably connect with some service that links back to facebook whether you know it or not. Maybe you don't see their ads, but maybe you buy something from a company that uses facebook cookies/advertising,
Where would I ever see this advertising? I don't watch TV ads, everything is recorded and fast forwarded though, I don't listen to commercial radio, I don't get ads in my browser. Pretty much the only ads I'm exposed to are billboards, posters on buses etc when I drive, and product placement in movies, although I very rarely watch Hollywood type movies these days either.
This has always been the problem with any sort of advice to simply not use the service, or not do anything that the police will be interested in, or whatever you like. Without actively carving out a zone of privacy, someone will always find a way to snoop on you whether you think you're deserving of it or not.
I agree that there is a problem there, but there are also options to vastly minimise the impact of it. I see a lot of people complaining ab
Please, let us keep raping your face(book)! (Score:2)
Fuck you, Facebook, and sideways with a rusty chainsaw, Zuckerberg.
So what does Facebook offer in return? (Score:4, Insightful)
So Facebook plans to use a nag screen to remind me that they really, really need to harvest my data, because in some nebulous way this will make my life better? How? By making it easier for Facebook to manipulate me into hating other people who aren't like me? Is that the "benefit" I receive?
I predict that the nag screen will have the exact opposite effect: those constant reminders that Facebook is monetizing your data to their benefit and your detriment will make more users go out of their way to opt out.
TLDR; Zuck doesn't have a clue.
Re: (Score:1)
What they should have done all along is provide an option to generate/replay simulated data to the app via the APIs the app requests. They should do this anyway, for non-privacy reasons (like demoing/testing navigation apps).
The Company Which Took a Stand (Score:2)
Against "inaccurate information", is a company that derives most of its revenue from ads.
Eh, I'm sure they did it with the customer's best interest in mind.
My God, if you can't trust an ad company, who can you trust?
Re: (Score:3)
Yes of course they did it with the customers' best interests in mind. Their customers are the companies that buy advertising space from them.
You don't have to pay Facebook any money at all to use Facebook. The people that use Facebook are not the customers.
YUP, Stop Facebook (Score:1)
Screw these private data vaccuums (Score:1)