Signal, an encrypted messaging application, announced that it has been banned by Facebook, after revealing how Facebook uses user data in its Instagram ads.
Signal explained in a statement posted on his blog, how much data is Facebook-owned Instagram collecting about them, and how is it being used to drive targeted ads?
Signal tried to use ads shown on the Instagram app to highlight how Facebook collects data from users and sells it to advertisers, and it has been blocked.
But what did he do exactly?
How did Facebook respond?
Bombing front
The truth is, Signal's idea is new, strange, but distinctive, as Signal has contracted with Facebook to buy an ads campaign on the Instagram application, just as any customer wants to launch a promotional campaign for his products.
Of course, Facebook provides campaign owners with information for the intended users of the campaign, which is accurate personal information that shows the likelihood of the user interacting with the ad.
Signal uploads ads that display only 3 text sentences without images and change according to the information Facebook provided to the ad owner.
For example, one of the ads appears: You got this ad because you are a "Certified Public Accountant in an Open Relationship". This ad used your site to find out that you are in "South Atlanta", and another says you are interested in "natural skin care and have supported Nature's X campaign since day one" and represents The parts in quotation marks are variables and depend on who the ad is targeting.
Another example of the ad is: You got this ad because you are a "Newly Married Pilates Trainer and You're Crazy with Animation".
Use this advertisement on your site to know that you are in a "cafe".
You are interested in "Parenting Blogs and are considering adoption."
Signal confirmed that Instagram used the branding of the Facebook application, and revealed many data about the user such as: professional role, education, interests, hobbies, location, and marital status, which I relied on in targeting paid ads.
Signal by uploading ads that display only 3 text sentences without images and change according to the information provided by Facebook to the owner of the advertisement (Signal)
Facebook responded
Facebook has banned Signal's account on Instagram, and the Signal app said in a statement on its blog, "Display the ad simply some of the information gathered about users that the ad platforms use. Facebook is ready to sell any information that shows people's lives, and does not want to tell people how their data is used. It is clear." The transparency that we tried to show about how ads use people's data is enough to block it. In the Facebook world, the only acceptable use of its platform is to hide what you do from your audience. ”
Instagram after WhatsApp
Earlier this year, when WhatsApp announced a change in its policy terms to be able to share some data with Facebook, the number of downloads for Signal increased.
At the time, Facebook displayed an ad for its Messenger app on the iPhone whenever users searched for Signal. In response, Signal posted on Twitter, “Facebook may be better at selling ads than buying them, but they will do what they need to do to get the best result when some people search for Signal on other platforms. Note: There will never be ads. In the Signal app, because your data belongs to you. "