A cringey Facebook video tries to sell the idea of privacy-breaching personalized ads

Facebook has launched a new campaign to tell the world that small businesses operating on its social platforms rely heavily on personalized advertising. It includes a video, titled “Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found,” featuring Houston-based fashion brand House of Takura. The company omits the fact that targeted advertising available on its platforms is a result of massive privacy breaches. Facebook is vehemently opposing Apple’s upcoming App Tracking Transparency initiative that will require iOS apps to seek user permission to track users.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • The video will air on TV, including during the Golden Globe Awards this Sunday.
  • iOS 14.5 will limit the collection of user data without permission.
  • Because of that, Facebook has accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior.
  • The social network faces several US antitrust lawsuits.

Millions of dollars involved

Reuters cites a source familiar with the matter as claiming that ad spending behind the campaign “is in the millions of dollars,” suggesting a willingness to step-up its Apple fight.

The company will launch an Instagram sticker and Facebook hashtag “DeserveToBeFound” to let small businesses share and publicize their offerings across the platforms. “It will also simplify its Ads Manager, a self-serve tool that lets brands buy and create ads, to make it easier for small businesses to use,” the report has it.

How to delete your Facebook account permanently

Ahead of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency initiative, Facebook has begun testing its own prompt to get users to opt-in to being tracked. Facebook’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple could also target iMessage, the most used messaging service in the US. As iDB commented, this coming from a company that is often labeled as the King of Privacy Theft is a bit rich.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s strong comments about the ad industry and user privacy have left many inside Facebook feeling that Apple was unfairly picking on them. According to one report, Facebook wanted to “inflict pain” on Apple following Cook’s privacy comments.