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Facebook is trying its hardest to convince you that you like data collection and that Apple is wrong

Let them fight.

by
Josiah Motley
February 2, 2021

Image: KnowTechie

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Apple and Facebook are at odds with each other and we lowly peons are just here for the ride. With Tim Cook recently blasting Facebook, and Facebook being, well, Facebook, the conversation is now on privacy and data.

The prompt for the conversation? A delayed feature in iOS 14 that will make app developers give users a way to limit the amount of data they collection. Apple has made it no secret that it doesn’t like how Facebook conducts business and Facebook has said that Apple has a double-set of standards for its own apps.

Now, in an updated blog post, Facebook has noted that it will play by Apple’s rules and show the upcoming prompt, but not without being petty about it. Alongside the Apple prompt, Facebook will have its own prompt, explaining why data collection is good and why it helps small businesses (while conveniently leaving out that data collection all but allows the social giant to print money).

It’s all so stupid. Want to help small businesses? Stop showing stupid ads. Show ads based on basic stuff like geolocation or your “likes” on Facebook. You don’t need to track me across every corner of the internet (and the many apps you buy up) to show me 14 different ads for cross-country cookie delivery websites.

Also, this whole “helps small businesses” fluff is just that, fluff. It only helps the small businesses that know how to capitalize on SEO and Facebook Ads. Your local mom and pop restaurant probably isn’t doing those things.

Anyways, yeah, two billion-dollar companies are going at it and we’re just caught in the wake. Do with this information what you will.

Have any thoughts on this? Do you agree with either of them? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.