Unlike other digital giants, such as Facebook or Google, Apple does not generate the majority of its revenue through advertising. Also, in recent years, the Cupertino company has positioned itself as a defender of the right to online privacy.
With each version of iOS, it offers new features aimed at helping users take control over the processing of their personal data by apps or websites. For example, with iOS 14, the Apple brand plans to introduce a new rule that will require app developers to request user consent before using IDFA.
For those who are not familiar with this identifier, also Identifier for Advertisers, this is information that can be used by developers to track user activities across different apps, to improve personalized ad targeting. And soon, every app using IDFA will have to ask the user's permission before accessing that identifier.
Moreover, this functionality should have been launched in 2020. But to give more time to the stakeholders concerned to prepare, the Cupertino company has decided to postpone this launch to 2021.
In any case, despite thecritiquesfrom Facebook, which points out the impact that this measure will have on small businesses, Apple does not intend to turn back. Recently, we learned that this new iOS feature against mobile trackers will be available in early spring.
Facebook will display its own message, more favorable to personalized advertising
While waiting for this deployment, Facebook is also preparing its counterattack. In an update on its blog, the number one social network indicates that it intends to comply with the new rule, by displaying Apple's prompt. However, the company plans to add additional information, via another permission request which will be made on its apps.
“As we shared in December, we do not agree with Apple's approach, but we will show its prompt in order to ensure the stability of the businesses and people who use our services. Apple's new prompt suggests there's a tradeoff between personalized advertising and privacy; when in fact we can and do both. The Apple prompt also doesn't provide context on the benefits of personalized ads », we read in the Facebook post.
“To help people make a more informed decision, we also display our own screen, as well as 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 opt out, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you », adds the company.
Towards an antitrust complaint from Facebook against Apple?
Currently, Facebook considers Apple a competitor. Indeed, in addition to offering the iPhone and the iOS operating system, the Cupertino company also has a messaging service which is a direct competitor to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Recently, during Facebook's financial results presentation, Mark Zuckerberg said:“Apple has every interest in using its dominant position on the platform to interfere with the operation of our apps and other applications, which they do regularly. They say they do this to help people, but the actions clearly follow their competitive interests. »
And currently, rumors suggest that Facebook could filean antitrust complaint against Apple.
