What you need to know about Apple’s iOS 14 Privacy Policy update and how it will affect Facebook Advertising.

Are you an Apple iPhone owner? Then you may be aware that Apple is trying to crack down on data capture with its new privacy policies with the iOS 14 update. If you are entirely out of the loop, or an Android user, we are here to give you the main points on how this will affect your Facebook advertising.

In plain text, as part of their iOS 14 update, Apple has introduced a way for the user to opt-in or opt-out from letting apps, like Facebook and Instagram, collect their data, which can be used towards ads targeting. Most users are likely to hit ‘no’, as there will not be a huge amount of context for why you should opt-in. The result will mean that ‘developers will turn to other means of generating revenues — like in-app purchases and subscriptions, benefiting Apple.’

Despite strong initial objections, Facebook is now complying with Apple’s policy, as their objection would mean their app no longer being accessible through Apple’s App Store.

What does it mean?

Apple’s privacy update will ‘affect how we receive and process conversion events from tools such as the Facebook pixel. Businesses that advertise mobile apps, as well as those that optimise, target and report on web conversion events from any of our business tools will be affected’. Additionally, there are claims that since users are more likely to opt-out of tracking, it would reduce the effectiveness of ads and metrics that rely on tracking where users go even on their mobile devices’.

What is changing?

We were able to attend a Facebook webinar recently, which ran through the upcoming changes and challenges from the privacy update. Facebook outlined ways it would try to help businesses who use the platform for advertising, but stressed that this would be something that would be out of their control, and advertisers will lose critical functionality.

Our main takeaways were:

• iOS 14 policy changes in 2021 mean that App Developers will need to ask iOS 14 users to track them. These new policies will impact targeting, optimisation and measurement apps, and mobile web campaigns.
• Facebook will now give a ‘pre-prompt’, giving more information and context on how they collect data. The Apple privacy data prompt will then pop up to provide the user control to opt-in or opt-out. If someone opts out, conversion events will be restricted, aggregated and delayed.
• Similar to 2018, when GDPR was implemented, many platforms will need to make changes, including Facebook, Shopify, Google, etc.
• Mobile web will be impacted, and product functionality will be significantly impacted across the ecosystem.
• Apple has created a new protocol for web attribution called private click measurement (PCM), which significantly restricts data shared across businesses and platforms.
• PCM does not support app-to-web conversion measurement or cross-domain measurement.
• Attribution will no longer support the up to 28-day attribution window. This means the credit will be given to the last click in the user’s conversion journey, and up to a 7-day window will only be visible.
• Facebook is introducing Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM), which limits the transmission of user data while still supporting critical advertiser use cases.
• ‘You can use your existing ad accounts to advertise to devices on iOS 14, but you’ll need to create separate iOS 14 app install campaigns due to reporting limitations from Apple’s SKAdNetwork API.’ Find out more information about how this will affect businesses who use an app here: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/331612538028890?id=428636648170202
• Clients will see fewer reported conversions, and for reported conversions, the breakdown will no longer exist. This breakdown involves gender, age, location and placement.
• If you run either worldwide campaigns or numerous campaigns at one time, you will now be restricted to having: 1 ad account → 9 campaigns → 5 ad sets per campaign live at a time.

What does it mean for my business, and do I need to do anything?

One of the main actions you can take now is to ensure your domain is verified within Facebook’s Business Manager. Domain verification is claiming ownership of your domain. This ‘ownership allows you to control the editing privileges of your links and other content to prevent misuse of your domain and keep bad actors from spreading misinformation’. This is hugely important if you plan to deliver ads for conversion events that take place on your business’s website. If you are unsure whether you have done this or need help doing so, click here for Facebook’s guide or have a chat with our team and we will do it for you.

The next steps will be to keep up to date with any further news on this subject and be aware that you may see some effects in your future advertising reports. If you work either as part of an agency, for yourself, or handle social advertising for your clients, share this blog with them to inform them of the current situation.

If you want to find out more information about the Apple update, you can take a look at their website here: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/