Facebook has emphasized in an email to its business customers that they have no choice but to implement Apple’s new measures to protect against tracking in iOS apps. The social network giant had previously raised public opinion against the new opt-out procedure, which Apple will launch for iOS from this year 14 provides. Access to the advertising ID embedded in the system, which previously could be used for tracking across multiple apps, should in future only be possible with the consent of the user. Before accessing the advertising ID, the operating system displays a warning and gives the user the choice of consenting to the tracking or of rejecting it. Facebook fears that many users will do the latter.

“Serious effects” In the e-mail to the customers who are iMore is called it continues, Apple’s specification, iOS – 14 – to show users a corresponding prompt within the framework of the new AppTrackingTransparency framework, will have “serious effects” have different areas – from targeting, i.e. the targeted tracking of customers with advertising, to optimizing campaigns, to measuring campaign efficiency “for businesses that advertise on mobile devices and across the web”.

Apple’s change will only let the corporation benefit, Facebook continues, “while the whole industry is injured”. Companies of “any size” would no longer be able to market themselves efficiently and would “grow through personalized advertisements”. The social network company continues to write that it believes that “personalized advertising and user privacy could coexist”.

“Further attack on privacy” Facebook had previously lobbyed against Apple’s measure. This had been criticized as “laughable” by network citizens’ rights organizations. The campaign is actually directed against users and small businesses, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “You shouldn’t be deceived: This latest Facebook campaign is another direct attack on our privacy,” said the EFF. Despite the “clever packaging” she also turns against other entrepreneurs, both small and large.

(bsc)