Facebook asks users iOS app for permission for tracking codes
Facebook is testing a notification in the iOS app that asks users for permission to post tracking codes. Those kinds of codes are necessary to be able to show people targeted advertisements. Apple will soon warn about these trackers.
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Facebook asks for tracking codes permission
A new chapter has begun in the war between Apple and Facebook. The social network tests a notification that asks users for permission to use tracking codes. These codes allow the company to see what you are doing online so that you get targeted ads on your screen. They make more money than random commercials.
The timing of this notification is no coincidence. Apple will soon come with a tracker warning. From that moment on, developers are required to request permission to use tracking codes. Facebook is strongly against this and is threatening with a lawsuit. The expectation is that many iPhone owners will not give permission for the use of the codes. Advertisers will then earn less.
Yet Facebook now itself asks for permission while it is not yet necessary. Mark Zuckerberg’s company does this to give users more context for their decision. Apple’s warning is very brief, while Facebook provides more information about what exactly happens with the data. The hope, of course, is that more users will then grant permission for the tracking codes.
Apple and Facebook are at war
As said, Apple and Facebook are at odds with each other. In a speech last week, Tim Cook stressed the importance of privacy. The earnings model of companies like Facebook would rely heavily on the spread of fake news. As a result, people spend more time on their smartphones, which makes advertisers a lot of money. However, fake news leads to social disruption, according to Cook. If users are no longer tracked, there is also less reason to spread these types of messages.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, has accused Apple of distorting competition and exploiting privacy concerns. In reality, Cook would like to encourage iPhone owners to use Apple’s own apps. iMessage and FaceTime are competitors of Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp.
