Meta Calls Out Apple for Anti-Tracking Grievances

In a memo sent to U.S regulators, Meta called out Apple’s control of the mobile app ecosystem and its advertising restraints. Meta, among many other companies, submitted a response to a request from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. This request asked for opinions on the competition in the mobile app ecosystem from tech companies and interested parties. Meta’s 19-page memo highlighted grievances with Apple and discussed how tech companies were at war over the future of regulations in Washington.

“Despite having some of the most popular apps in the world,” Meta’s letter to the NTIA said, “Meta’s ability to innovate on its products and services and even reach its customers is determined, and in some cases, significantly limited, by the most popular mobile operating systems, such as Apple’s iOS.”

Meta has openly opposed Apple ever since it implemented ant-tracking protocols into the mobile app ecosystem. In 2021, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework (ATT) created ripples across the mobile ad industry because app developers had to get direct permission from consumers to collect data about their online behavior. Apple implemented these changes to safeguard consumer privacy, but Meta claims that the move was meant to benefit Apple’s business through ad sales and more. Apple has never played a significant role in advertising, but ever since it instituted anti-tracking, it has begun developing its ad tools to serve brands and developers better.

“Apple’s ads business has already witnessed ‘explosive growth’ as ATT has hobbled its competitors,” Meta mentioned in its note to the NTIA.

“Apple’s ads business has already witnessed ‘explosive growth’ as ATT has hobbled its competitors,” Meta mentioned in its note to the NTIA.

In response, an Apple spokesperson said, "Apple believes in vibrant and competitive markets and through the App Store, we’ve helped millions of developers around the world turn their brightest ideas into apps that change the world. Today, third-party apps, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, are among the most popular apps on the App Store. We have every interest in supporting a robust developer community.”

“We believe that a user’s data belongs to them and they should get to decide whether to share their data and with whom,” the spokesperson added. “App Tracking Transparency gives users the choice whether or not they want to allow apps to track them by linking their information with data from third parties for the purpose of advertising, or sharing their information with data brokers. These rules apply equally to all developers, including Apple.”

“SKAdNetwork, Apple’s tool for attributing app installations by users who decline to opt in to ‘tracking,’ drastically limits businesses’ access to data they need to measure and optimize the effectiveness of ad campaigns,” Meta wrote. “Among other things, SKAdNetwork does not support ad-creative metrics, provides data on a delayed and highly aggregated basis, and supports only a limited number of ad campaigns. Apple has also made sudden and unannounced changes to SKAdNetwork, rendering it an unreliable basis for ad measurement and optimization,” Meta added in its note.

The NTIA is yet to comment on the actions it could take after carefully analyzing the mobile app ecosystem.

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