In advertisements that ran in The New York Times, The Wall
Street Journal and other national newspapers Wednesday, Facebook said Apple's
new rules “limit businesses' ability to run personalised advertisements and
reach their customers effectively."
“While limiting how personalised ads can be used does impact
larger companies like us, these changes will be devastating to small businesses
adding to the many challenges they face right now," the advertisement
states.
Apple brushed aside Facebook's attacks, saying that that it
isn't preventing people from being tracked if they so desire. The main change
is that people will have to grant their permission before Facebook and other
apps will be able to monitor their online activities.
“We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for
our users," Apple said. “Users should know when their data is being
collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the
choice to allow that or not."
The advertisements come after Apple said earlier this week
it would begun spelling out what kinds of personal information is being
collected by the digital services displayed in its app stores for iPhone units
and other products made by the trendsetting company.
Apple also has plans to impose a new mandate that will
require all iPhone apps to obtain permission before tracking a person's
activities on the device. That surveillance is currently done automatically by
many apps, and would force people to go to the time and trouble to block the
tracking in the settings of each app. Apple says it will oust apps from its
stores if they try to bypass the new anti-tracking rule when it becomes
effective next year.
In many instances, the data scooped up by apps is used to
sell advertisements targeted at a particular person's interest and location,
especially if their services are being offered for free.
Apple announced the changes were coming six months ago as
part of an effort to help its customers gain a better understanding of how apps
monitor their habits, tastes and whereabouts. At the time Facebook complained
that the changes would hurt businesses' ability to personalise advertisements.