Facebook is right: Signal’s viral ads are just a publicity stunt
” This is a stunt by Signal, who never even tried to in fact run these ads, and we didnt shut down their ad account for trying to do so,” Facebook representative Joe Osborne said in a statement. “If Signal had actually tried to run the ads, a couple of them would have been declined because our advertising policies prohibit advertisements that assert that you have a particular medical condition or sexual preference, as Signal needs to know. Of course, running the ads was never their objective– it was about getting promotion.”
No matter what the outcome, Signal would have gotten that promotion. Either method, Signal wins here, no matter how you attempt to turn it. It was all a great Signal promotion stunt.
Signal ad examples that Facebook prohibited from Instagram. Image source: Signal
Facebooks response also highlights another problem with user tracking. The company says that its policies restrict advertisements that “assert that you have a specific medical condition or sexual preference.” However Facebook does not dispute that marketers like Signal may have used that sort of individual user information for individualized advertisements targeting groups with a specific medical condition or sexual orientation.
Signal responded to Facebooks reaction, stating that the screenshots it used in its post show that Facebook did disable the Signal advertisement account and that it attempted to run the advertisements.
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Facebooks response: pic.twitter.com/xhPTVfmLBQ
— Alex Kantrowitz (@Kantrowitz) May 5, 2021
Signal just scored an enormous win against Facebook by using Facebooks terrifying user tracking practices versus the social network in the best possible method. Signal wanted to run advertisements on Instagram that would have exposed the real reasons why users would see the Signal advertisements in their feeds.
Unsurprisingly, Facebook has tried to safeguard itself, declaring that Signal never ever attempted to run those advertisements which it didnt shut down their represent trying to do so. Facebook claims that Signals objective wasnt to run the advertisements in the very first location, “it had to do with getting promotion.”
2/2: The advertisements themselves were never ever declined as they were never ever set by Signal to run. The advertisement account has been offered since early March, and the ads that do not violate our policies might have run given that then.
— joe osborne (@joeosborne) May 5, 2021
Facebooks Osborne responded the screenshots that show Signals banned marketing account are from early March when the account was disabled “for a few days due to an unrelated payments issue.”
you are permitted to do weird targeting of $FB ads, you just cant reveal to the users that youre doing it pic.twitter.com/r16IwrOGT6
— Don Marti (@dmarti) May 5, 2021
” The advertisements themselves were never ever declined as they were never ever set by Signal to run. The ad account has been available since early March, and the advertisements that dont violate our policies could have run ever since,” the representative stated.
Facebook makes it seem like Signal has crafted this scenario as a stunt to get more exposure. Even if Facebook is correct, it does not alter Signals win, although Signal might even more clarify the circumstance. Or simply run the advertisements as planned, if Facebook states it can.
Facebook remark that the advertisements were not turned down and Signal could have run them isnt helpful. Facebook almost verifies that Signal might have targeted Instagram users in the scary ways Signal recommended it could. To put it simply, Facebook does not reject that it collects the data Signal highlighted in its ads.
Further intensifying the dispute will just harm Facebook, specifically at a time when people can in fact obstruct Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp from tracking them throughout iPhone and iPad apps.
Reactions on Twitter to the Signal vs. Facebook advertisement saga are more most likely to favor Signal than Facebook.
Chris Smith started discussing gizmos as a hobby, and prior to he understood it he was sharing his views on tech things with readers around the globe. Whenever hes not blogging about devices he badly fails to keep away from them, although he desperately tries. However thats not always a bad thing.
Signals attack on Facebook isnt unexpected either. Signal is among the chat apps that WhatsApp users have actually gathered to after Facebook announced that WhatsApp would share more user data with Facebook. Signal simply benefits from the increased discuss user tracking and privacy to take more WhatsApp users.
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Signal desired to run advertisements on Instagram that would have exposed the real reasons why users would see the Signal advertisements in their feeds. “If Signal had tried to run the ads, a couple of them would have been declined due to the fact that our marketing policies forbid ads that assert that you have a particular medical condition or sexual orientation, as Signal ought to know. Even if Facebook is proper, it doesnt alter Signals win, although Signal might further clarify the situation. Facebook almost validates that Signal might have targeted Instagram users in the scary ways Signal suggested it could. Signal is one of the chat apps that WhatsApp users have actually gathered to after Facebook announced that WhatsApp would share more user information with Facebook.