An upcoming update to Apple’s iOS 14 operating system could soon restrict the amount of user data Facebook and Instagram can collect for targeted advertising. The new AppTrackingTransparency framework requires users to opt-in for data tracking.
Facebook rebuked Apple’s privacy update with full-page newspaper ads in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. The company argues that Apple’s new measures will be “devastating to small businesses.” Without personalized ads, Facebook claims that “the average small business stands to see a cut of over 60% in their sales for every dollar they spend.” Some experts have suggested this figure is slightly misleading.
While Facebook says it’s “standing up for small businesses,” Apple says it’s standing up for users. “Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not,” a spokeswoman told Bloomberg.
In September, European Union regulators based in Ireland sent Facebook preliminary orders to suspend data transfers from Europe to the U.S. In a court filing, Facebook’s associate general said that the ban would result in the company being unable to provide services in Europe. In December, Facebook confirmed plans to shift U.K. users to user agreements with its corporate headquarters in California.