Facebook Tries to Convince iPhone Users to Enabling Tracking to Keep Apps Free

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Facebook Tries to Convince iPhone Users to Enabling Tracking to Keep Apps Free
“Help keep Facebook free of charge,” the company says
May 3, 2021 18:11 GMT  ·  By Bogdan Popa  ·       

iOS 14.5 is now available for download with the controversial App Tracking Transparency policy that requires developers to request consent before tracking users across other apps and websites.

Facebook is one of the companies that criticized Apple for this approach, and while the Cupertino-based tech giant has repeatedly insisted this is an update specifically supposed to enhance user privacy, the social network has now turned to a new approach to deal with the prompts.

More specifically, Facebook’s apps, including Facebook and Instagram, are now coming with prompts trying to convince users to enable tracking.

More surprising is that both Facebook and Instagram claim the tracking would help keep the apps free of charge, suggesting that without information about user activity things could change at one point.

“This version of iOS requires us to ask for permission to track some data from this device to improve your ads. We use information about your activity received from other apps and websites to show you ads that are more personalized, help keep Facebook free of charge, support businesses that rely on ads to reach their customers,” the prompt reads.
Prompts already live

In a blog post, Facebook also explains that it turned to this approach in order to help users make an informed decision when choosing whether they want to be tracked or not.

“As Apple has said that providing additional context is allowed, we will show an educational screen before presenting Apple’s prompt to help people make an informed decision about how their information is used. It provides more details about how we use data for personalized ads, as well as the ways we limit the use of activity other apps and websites send us if people don’t turn on this device setting. Our screen also lets people know that they’re seeing Apple’s prompt due to Apple’s requirements for iOS 14.5,” the company says.

The prompts are already live in the latest versions of Apple’s ads.