From Bloomberg’s “Apple Defends Delay of Privacy Feature, Slams Facebook” posted Thursday:
The Cupertino, California-based technology company criticized Facebook’s approach to advertising and user tracking, according to a written reply sent to several human rights and privacy organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch:
By contrast, Facebook and others have a very different approach to targeting. Not only do they allow the grouping of users into smaller segments, they use detailed data about online browsing activity to target ads. Facebook executives have made clear their intent is to collect as much data as possible across both first and third party products to develop and monetize detailed profiles of their users, and this disregard for user privacy continues to expand to include more of their products.
Facebook responded Thursday afternoon with a long statement accusing Apple of trying to distract users from its own privacy issues. The social network also accused Apple of using its size to block competitors, like Facebook, from running their advertising business.
“They are using their dominant market position to self-preference their own data collection while making it nearly impossible for their competitors to use the same data,” Facebook said in the statement. “They claim it’s about privacy, but it’s about profit.”
My take: Facebook’s past practices stink too bad to pass this smell test. Jury’s still out on Apple’s advertising business.
It’s not about advertising; it’s about integrity. Advertising can be helpful or harmful. Apple draws the line. Facebook clearly doesn’t.
Maybe the title should be “He who hoovers less hoovers best”.
Do you see Apple and Facebook on an inevitable collision course over privacy and advertising? In other words, is Apple’s approach to privacy and adverting an existential threat to Facebook’s growth and perhaps its survival? Do you see a “middle ground” as possible to keep the peace?
“… Do you see Apple and Facebook on an inevitable collision course over privacy and advertising?”
If Apple is sincere about protecting users data & information then I must ask how can Apple & Facebook not be on an inevitable collision course over privacy & advertising? It must get cold for Apple on the moral high ground, but I truly believe Apple is intent on remaining on that moral high ground.
“…. is Apple’s approach to privacy and adverting an existential threat to Facebook’s growth and perhaps its’ survival?”
Apple’s approach is an existential threat to Facebook’s growth, but not to its survival. I have confidence in Mark Zuckerberg’s ability to be innovative in finding ways to continue growing Facebook. Remember, this is the kid in whom Steve Jobs saw stellar ability & potential in the next generation for lineage of great companies & consequently decided to mentor Zuckerberg on long walks. Many folk may not know that fact.
In summary, I never would count out Mark Zuckerberg.
“…. Do you see a ‘middle ground’ as possible to keep the peace?”
There is no middle ground for Apple on this issue if Apple truly is sincere with its stated approach to privacy and advertising. Facebook in favor of reform is like a Turkey in favor of Thanksgiving.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. In my view, Apple is showing restraint and is seeking more input and providing time for Facebook to develop a different strategy before deploying what I call the “nuclear advertising option.” I agree. Facebook will survive. But this will be a “massive inconvenience” for them. At what price privacy? In my view, as a nation and society that question is not being adequately addressed.
FB and GOOGL depend on profits from ads or their stock price collapses. For AAPL, ad profit represents a tiny fraction of their “E”.
FB and GOOGL must feed the beast.
That being the case, when Apple activates its ad blocker they are up Shitts Creek.
Do you have an estimate of the possible revenue impact on Google and Facebook when Apple deploys the “nuclear advertising option”? Any idea on the creative “workarounds” Google or Facebook might deploy in response?
Given that iOS customers are more discerning than their Android counterparts (does Android even have counterparts to iOS customers?) I would suspect those opting out of tracking advertising would be very, very high.
Ads will continue to show up, they just won’t be targeted, which will make them far less valuable. I can’t imagine a work around that can replace targeted ads.
Gruber’s comments give a different and disturbing perspective in how this connects and relates to the tech of information gathering.
We’re in complete agreement. My concern isn’t the military but of unscrupulous private industry, the typical Adv market gaining information through Trojan horses of apps I, and others, give permission to without suspecting they may carry unscrupulous frameworks.
That may be among the reasons Apple is showing restraint on deploying its privacy plan.
Of all the ads just the commentators on this blog have been exposed to as a target, how many have been clicked on? Dead money if not clicked, eh?
I’ve clicked on SO, SO few that there have been far more accidental clicks than intended ones. I, for one, remain hardly an effective target for the money spend.
Maybe I’m an outlier.