Facebook Privacy Officer Says Apple Threatens Online Ad System

Apple threatens online advertising through its anticipated policy requiring developers to gain consent for tracking users across platforms and sites, Facebook Chief Privacy Officer-Policy Erin Egan said Friday. Privacy claims shouldn’t be used to oppose ads, which is the basis for a free internet, she told a Media Institute virtual forum.

The concern is that “Apple’s new policy and this use of the word ‘tracking’ will discourage consumers from accepting advertising and undermine the ability of applications large and small to fund their business,” Egan said. She questioned the meaning of “being tracked” and who gets to decide how it’s defined. Apple didn’t comment.

Facebook prioritizes passage of a federal privacy law, Egan said, noting the U.S. hasn’t kept pace with the world. The EU’s general data protection regulation has “really good pieces” that would “make a lot of sense in a federal approach,” she said, citing rights about how data is collected and used. Consumers should have rights to access and delete that information and have limits on retention, Egan said. “There’s a core set of rights that are really important for people to get to this issue of trust.” A federal privacy bill should have both opt-in and opt-out elements for consent, she said. “It’s a spectrum of risk. Many of these questions around opt-ins, opt-outs really depend on the context, and it depends on the types of data and the type of use.”

Regulation and legislation also threaten targeted marketing, Egan said. It’s Facebook’s job to educate about the benefits of personalization and how people can protect privacy “without an outright ban” against personal ads, she added. However, she noted increased regulation can help improve trust in the overall ad system. Regulation establishes a foundation of trust regarding airplane, automobile and food safety, she said, which consumers don’t necessarily think about because they trust them.

There are valid concerns, namely about how data is collected and shared in connection with personal ads, Egan said: Platforms should continue innovating because it’s possible to provide targeted ads and protect privacy.