Facebook Is Betting That Users Secretly Like Targeted Advertising

Apple’s new privacy measures will test the theory that underlies Facebook’s business model

Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Facebook recently launched an ad campaign to defend personalized advertising against Apple’s new privacy measures. The campaign, called “Good Ideas Deserve to Be Found,” touts targeted ads as a boon for small businesses. Here’s one of the ads, which I found amusing, if perhaps not exactly in the way that Facebook intended.

The ad push comes ahead of a change in Apple’s policies that could dramatically affect Facebook and other app makers’ ability to track iOS users for advertising purposes. Starting this spring, iPhone users will see a pop-up when they open an app that tracks them, giving them the option to opt out. Previously, that option was buried in settings panels that few users ever open; now, it will be unmissable.

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted a screenshot in December of what its new privacy iOS pop-up notices will look like. Screenshot courtesy of the author

Facebook and the makers of other data-hungry mobile apps are afraid that many people — perhaps even most people — will opt out. Hence the ad campaign, which comes after Facebook has already run full-page newspaper ads decrying the changes and has…