Facebook has warned its advertiser customers that its services may not be as effective on Apple devices in the near future. Apple will be requiring users to opt in to tracking on iOS 14, and if they don't, Facebook will not be able to serve these customers the same targeted ads.
Apple devices issue an identifier for advertisers (IDFA) that helps them assemble a profile of users and their web activity in order to deliver personalised ads. In iOS 14, Apple will require users to opt in to the IDFA.
Facebook said its apps on iOS 14 devices will no longer collect the IDFA. "This is not a change we want to make, but unfortunately Apple’s updates to iOS14 have forced this decision," the company said in a blog post. The move is expected to "severely impact publishers’ ability to monetize" through the Facebook Audience Network on iOS 14, and means "it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14 in the future", Facebook said.
The company said its initial tests with the new settings show an over 50 percent drop in Audience Network publisher revenue when personalization was removed from mobile app ad install campaigns. It's working on strategies to support publishers through these changes. While no exact date for the release of iOS 14 has been announced yet, Facebook said it will release an updated version of the Audience Network SDK beforehand and will provide an update as soon as these dates are confirmed.
