To convince users to enable tracking, Facebook is now using the tactic of telling users that they should enable tracking on iOS 14.5 if they want to help keep Facebook and Instagram “free.”
App Tracking Transparency (ATT) is the latest privacy feature introduced in iOS 14.5. With the new update Apps are now required to show users a prompt asking for their consent before tracking them across other apps and websites. A significant part of Facebook's business model relies on selling ads in its apps and services. For example, small businesses can use Facebook's ad business to target ads to specific customers or demographics. However, if iOS 14.5 users choose to opt out of tracking, Facebook may get less data to deliver those personalized ads to users.
iOS 14.5 ATT: Facebook updates awareness screen
The update was released to the public last week, and now more and more apps are adapting to the new guidelines. Facebook previously revealed what the prompt will look like, and now, after releasing the update, the social media giant is slowly starting to roll it out to users.
As reported by Ashkan Soltani on Twitter discovered, Facebook updated its prompt to say "Help keep Facebook free." In an updated blog post, Facebook calls this updated prompt an "educational screen" that "helps people make an informed decision about how their information is used." Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, also shows a similar prompt asking users to turn on tracking to "help keep Instagram free."
"Helping people make an informed decision"
Because Apple has said providing additional context is allowed, we will show an educational screen before presenting Apple's prompt to help people make an informed choice about how their information is used. It includes more details about how we use data for personalized advertising, as well as the ways we limit the use of activity that other apps and websites send to us if users do not enable this device setting. Our screen also lets users know that they are seeing Apple's prompt because of Apple's iOS 14.5 requirements.
Facebook will gradually roll out the prompt over the coming days and weeks, so not everyone will see it right away. Whether this will help the social media giant get more data remains to be seen, of course. You can find out more about tracking below. (Photo by rvlsoft / Bigstockphot)
