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Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

daringfireball.net

151–160 of 187 posts

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with Apple here, but talking about Facebook, did you mean: > A company that basically profits from people being people ?

They aren't neutral though, they clearly amplify it.

They've sort of been caught playing with people's emotions before, although there is also an effect where Facebook look particularly bad because of how un-(self)-selective their userbase is. Everyone has a Facebook account, there are very few features to let you use it like a traditional (say) forum.

Debate on Facebook is effectively the Dunning-Kruger curve directly to your screen - not exactly that people are stupid as per se, but the level of knowledge on display is very small.

The trendsetters aren't really on Facebook anymore, too. I absolutely love memes, and there are still good, creative, meme groups on Facebook however it's literally only a matter of time before the group gets shut down because of some unexplained reason. This once again has the effect of moving anyone willing to use their brain elsewhere.

They definitely need regulating but they are also a victim of their own success.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#153
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite the contrary. Word of mouth works wonders in small, tightly-knit communities that typically form around very small niches.

Right, but how do I find that tight-knit community (and begin to trust the people in it) if none of the people I currently associate with are interested in that niche & can introduce me to it?

> how do I find that tight-knit community

Start from the related Reddit, and work your way out.

I also like Hackernoon as a starting point.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#154
post #5

Whenever they want to make a statement, they use newspaper ads, what does it tell you about FB Ads?

I think Gruber's analysis is quite correct: Full-page issue messaging ads are about reaching very specific demographics in a conspicuous way. But in today’s world, it’s kind of transparent whom Facebook is targeting here: old white politicians. so I don't think those two are related.

Is the implication that old black and Asian politicians don't read newspapers? Or that they don't have the same incentives to support Facebook?

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#155
post #53
post #7

> Users can easily choose to keep providing Facebook (and anyone else) with all the information they want. Or they can choose not to. This part hits the nail on the head. Facebook is intentionally being misleading in this campaign. I’ve had the IDFA turned off on my phone for years. Now apps have to ask for it individually. If apps have to prompt to access it, and this benefits small businesses so much, wouldn’t peop…

Super agree. I can't describe that ad in any other way than a sophisticated lie. They are making it look like Apple wants to take away choice from the user when it's exactly the other way around. They are careful to never mention what the iOS 14 updates are actually about, but a lie by omission is still a lie.

I call it fundamental dishonesty. Some big problems for team fb:

1. It is difficult to recover from such an obviously dishonest position.

2. Users are supposed to be the customers, not small businesses. If users aren't the customers, they can't receive Facebook as a product "for free."

3. The current business model offers outsized returns because it leverages tech people don't want or don't yet know they don't want.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, a) this is probably just one facet of Facebook's campaign against privacy, but b) younger, more savvy politicians are much more likely to already see through Facebook's BS. The ones who are reading newspapers regularly are the ones who Facebook can just transparently lie to and have them eat it up, because they don't understand technology (but they do understand lobbying in all its forms).

Old I understand, white just seems racist to mention.

While it's less directly relevant to the specific point, I suspect (as some other commenters noted) the reason for including it is that nearly all the old politicians are white.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#157
post #104

They seem to be going all-in with this campaign, complete with video cuts of reactions of "small business-owners" and whatnot: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/ios-14-apple-privacy-... This update seems to have touched a nerve for FB, and that to me means it's a good thing. I'm not a fan of Apple's restrictive ecosystem, but things like this that act in favor of user privacy deserve praise.

From the link: > They’re not playing by their own rules. Apple’s own personalized ad platform isn't subject to the new iOS 14 policy. Is this true?

Not in the slightest. Apple is not tracking you across nearly every website you visit, like Facebook is.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#158
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes I suppose it's a question of ad demographics here, though why place a newspaper ad if you just want to reach politicians, then just use your lobbyists. I'm sure they want to reach voters, not politicians. But either way, why say "old white" when the point is that they are old enough to read print media. They are targeted because they are old, not because of their color. Why bring race into it, except for virtue s…

> why place a newspaper ad if you just want to reach politicians I'm guessing it's similar to the reason pharmaceutical companies use TV ads to reach doctors.

Surely TV ads are for patients, so they know to request the medicine. The way to reach doctors is to sponsor lavish conference trips. They spend insane amounts per doctor per year.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#159
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> once people actually understand the scope of ad tracking networks... they don’t want it. I wish this was true but I have friends who want the perceived benefits. They firmly believe handing over that data benefits them. More relevant ads, more useful services and features, more free stuff, etc. I bring up yet another place I don't want to be tracked and they just retort they want to share as much info as possible.

I also don't mind being tracked. If I must see ads, then I rather see relevant ads. There is nothing bad in this. I don't understand the facebook/google bashing here. It's not as you could advertise on apple for something against apple. It should also be clear to you what game Apple is playing here. Their end game is to do the tracking themselves and then they will slowly introduce and sell ads themselves. Their mark…

The Facebook bashing is because Facebook are using a disengenuous argument about small businesses to justify hiding in app survelence you can't opt out of.

Well tough. If they are going to track people so completely then they should be up front about what they're doing and it should be opt-in. I don't want to give money to businesses big or small that what to know that much data about me.

You can still sell your own soul if you want to, the option will still be there, just so long as the rest of us can say no.

Re: Facebook Takes Out Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's Strengthening iOS Privacy

#160
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's an argument to be made though that hyper-targeting helps niche or smaller businesses more than a P&G who has to run a larger campaign so the IRR could drop more for smaller businesses than a large company on Facebook specifically?

The real argument here, that someone else made, is that if we want to help small businesses, Facebook needs to go. In the past small businesses would just use other small, local business, to advertise. Facebook & co are just destroying all these small businesses (local newspapers, local magazines, billboard companies, local news websites, whatever).

It's naive to think that local newspapers would just spring back to life if Facebook disappeared.

The internet has changed how people consume and get new information forever and that won't change anytime soon.

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