Facebook has rejected several ads from Signal on Instagram. In the ads, the chat app wanted to make users aware of all the information Facebook collects from them. Mark Zuckerberg's social network did not like that idea and decided to ban the ads. That's what Signal writes in a blog.
"Companies like Facebook don't build technology for you. They are building technology for your data. They collect everything they can from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to gain insight into people and their lives and sell that information." It's a solid statement, but one that puts its finger on the sore spot.
Facebook collects an awful lot of data from its users. This data collection frenzy goes beyond the information one puts on their profile, such as your name, hometown, interests and relationship status. The company not only knows exactly what you do on its platform, but also outside of it. Facebook has access to your browsing history, device data, financial transactions, and so on.
Want to know exactly what information Facebook collects about you? Then read our background article "What does Facebook know about me.
That's exactly the topic Signal wanted to bring to the attention of Instagram users. The chat app wanted to do that through an ad campaign. To do so, the app wanted to use the tools that Facebook itself offers to highlight how this technology works. For that purpose, Signal wanted to buy ads on Instagram. It devised several ads for different audiences. These were designed in such a way as to show what information Facebook had access to. The ads would show some of this information from users on screen.
Facebook did not like this and put a stop to it. On its own, the platform shut down Signal's ad account. "This ad account, its ads and its ad items have been disabled. You can no longer use it to display ads," the message to Signal read.
Signal may not be able to run the ad campaign on Instagram. That doesn't mean its hands are tied. To still be able to call attention to Facebook's data collection practices, the chat app wrote a blog. In it, Jun Harada, a senior employee at Signal, writes the following:
"Facebook is more than willing to sell people's visibility unless it is to tell people how their data is being used. Being transparent about how ads use people's data is apparently enough to be banned. In the world of Facebook, hiding what you do from your audience is the only acceptable use."
Facebook has been beating around the bush more often lately, like a cornered cat. Last year, when Apple announced it was integrating a new privacy feature into iOS 14, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg placed a full-page ad in three major U.S. dailies. In it, he argued that Apple's move would hit small business owners mercilessly. A company spokesman even accused Apple of an abuse of power. "Apple claims this is about privacy, but it's about money," he said.
Since last Monday, when Apple began rolling out iOS 14.5, App Tracking Transparency has been a reality. Anyone who launches an installed app for the first time since then must give permission for users to be monitored. Not only when you use that particular app, but also with other applications and all websites you visit. It is expected that most iOS users will not agree to this. It will then be a lot harder for Facebook to offer targeted and personalized ads. And that hits the company in the wallet.
Zuckerberg decided not to stop there. This week, he threatened that Facebook and Instagram may no longer be offered for free in the future if users reject tracking en masse. Tech expert Ashkan Soltani called it a "scare tactic" on Twitter to scare users in the hope that they will (still) consent to monitoring. American tech site The Verge emphasized that it is not the first time Facebook has made this threat.
