Signal used Instagram’s ad platform to display the data that Facebook collects from its users. They were obviously blocked by the social network and the dispute began. The messaging app accused Facebook of spying on users through a campaign. Facebook was quick to respond by assuring that the messaging app is only looking for advertising.
After the messaging platform accused the social network of spying on its users with a campaign on Instagram, the messages were blocked, but Facebook went further and now accused the platform of only wanting to advertise hanging on this issue.
Signal, like Telegram, is an application that gained great popularity after WhatsApp made the unfortunate move of updating its privacy policies. Which ultimately ended up showing the degree of intrusion with our general information that all applications and social networks owned by Facebook had.
The messaging app designed a series of personalized ads to promote itself through Instagram, which is part of the trinity alongside WhatsApp and Facebook.
The interesting thing is that these insertions showed data collected directly from Facebook’s platform.
Signal made it clear that this practice is not a secret but clarified that many users really don’t fully understand the amount of information that is extracted from their daily digital lives, so their idea was to “translate” the ads we see on Facebook or Instagram. This way, people would have a clearer idea of how it was decided that ad would appear in users’ feeds.
However, Facebook not only prevented the ads from running but even blocked Signal’s account as an advertiser.
According to Facebook, Signal only seeks advertising
Facebook for its part, has gone further and has not stood idly by and through a spokesperson assured that the messaging app, only seeks advertising,
Facebook’s response: pic.twitter.com/xhPTVfmLBQ
— Alex Kantrowitz (@Kantrowitz) May 5, 2021
“This is a stunt by Signal, who never even tried to actually run these ads — and we didn’t shut down their ad account for trying to do so,” said Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne, “If Signal had tried to run the ads, a couple of them would have been rejected because our advertising policies prohibit ads that assert that you have a specific medical condition or sexual orientation, as Signal should know. But of course, running the ads was never their goal — it was about getting publicity,” he added.
About Signal‘s ad account, Facebook admits that it temporarily disabled it in March, but defends itself by arguing that this was a measure stemming from a payment issue.
