February 07, 2021

Facebook vs. Apple — a fight for data

Nicona Lane – Digital Media Manager

There are two sides to every story and two of the biggest names in tech are telling theirs.

Last June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced a new privacy feature. In an effort to protect their users’ privacy, users will be shown a prompt in iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and tvOS 14 asking if they want to allow tracking and warns that the data would be used for personalized ads.

What does this mean?

It means that iOS14 users are more likely to disable the feature and businesses like Target, Lowe’s and others won’t be able to target you based on your browsing activity and engagement on social media.

Who just so happens to be one of the biggest tech names that use that data?

Facebook.

Facebook uses data tracking to input its users’ data into its algorithm. This is why you might see an ad for Nike Air Force Ones after looking them up on the Nike website.

Social media platforms, including Facebook, have turned into another medium for businesses to advertise on. More and more companies have implemented advertising campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn because of their ability to accurately advertise to their target audience.

Zuckerberg is attempting to position Facebook as a defender of small businesses and has stated that it will hurt the businesses that rely on this data to target customers. He has made quite a stink about how this will impact small businesses and their ability to target their key audience. He’s taken out print advertisements in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal with headlines including, “We’re standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere.”

Apple has said the pop-up message in apps are only designed to let users know when and how an app plans to track you, not ban tracking altogether.

In this battle of power between the companies, small businesses will likely have to take their marketing efforts to other platforms. Additionally, Facebook will probably lose some money, but as we know, the money is likely pocket change to them.

While iOS 14 released in the fall of 2020, this new requirement will be released in spring of 2021. Whose side are you on? Is Zuckerburg about to get a dose of his own medicine and be Zucked?

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