In the dispute between Apple and Facebook about tightening anti-tracking measures under iOS, the network citizens’ rights activists of the globally operating Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have now also intervened. The organization’s official blog states that Facebook’s accusation that the iPhone group is endangering small businesses with the measures is “laughable”.

Facebook: Apple is about profit The campaign is actually directed against users and small business companies, like this the organization. “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.

Apple will prescribe an opt-in for tracking in apps in iOS and iPadOS. According to Facebook, this reduces the effectiveness of targeted advertising and thus harms small businesses that would thereby reach fewer customers. In addition to direct press work, Facebook management tries to spread this message through a large advertising campaign in the USA. Advertising boss Dan Levy said Apple is not about data protection, “it’s about profit”.

Gigantic empire of user tracking However, the EFF makes this accusation on Facebook itself. The group is afraid that its users will find out what information the company collects behind the scenes together with other “data brokers”. From this, Facebook has “built a gigantic empire based on tracking everything you do”.

The EFF goes on to state that targeted advertising, Facebook, Google and other providers as Ultima Ratio, actually have hardly any advantages over regular ads – especially not for content publishers. The additional profits ended up in the pockets of data brokers such as Facebook, Google and various “dodgy companies”. Facebook doesn’t do any of that. Only 30 to 40 US cents of every advertising dollar spent went to the Publisher. (bsc)