You may have heard some buzz lately around privacy in the tech industry. With user privacy top-of-mind, there are some notable changes for advertisers to acknowledge with the onset of the iOS 14 update. 

With this update, Apple users must now opt into in-app tracking rather than needing to opt out of it like they had in the past. The goal of these changes is to give users more control of how and when their data is collected.

While the iOS update is just one step of the evolution to put user privacy at the forefront, there are some important alterations in tracking and attribution you should know.

There are certainly ways to remain compliant with these new updates while maximizing your advertising efforts, so keep reading to learn more!   

How Will the iOS 14 Privacy Update Impact Facebook Ads? 

With the rollout of the iOS 14 update, the way in which conversion events are processed through Facebook will look a little different. This is specific to actions that occur on a website or app after a user has seen or clicked on a Facebook Ad. 

Below is an outline of the primary changes and implications of this update that you need to know:  

• A website verification may need to be completed to avoid ad delivery disruptions.  
• Up to 8 conversion events (trackable actions taken on your website or app) can be tracked on a single domain through Facebook Pixel when campaigns are optimized around events on a website or an app.  
• The attribution window for conversion tracking has been reduced, meaning data collected around the actions a user takes after viewing or clicking on a Facebook ad will expire sooner.   
• Facebook may utilize modeled conversion data to estimate website or app interactions when a user has opted out of tracking. 

While audience sizes may vary after the rollout of these changes, advertisers will still retain the ability to remarket to users who have previously interacted with their website, app or ads. 

Lead generation campaigns that allow users to fill out contact forms without ever leaving the Facebook or Instagram app will not require any action to continue tracking leads. Campaigns that focus on driving brand awareness and website traffic instead of optimizing around website actions will also still run with minimal changes to delivery or reporting! 

How Will This Affect Google Ads? 

Google and all other advertising platforms must also comply with privacy updates that have come from the iOS 14 update.

In fact, Google recently announced that it is tweaking its existing tracking methods to increase user anonymity. Google refers to this as the Privacy Sandbox. At this time there are no actions advertisers must take if they are already using Google’s Global Site Tag for conversion tracking! 

For more information on this announcement from Google, check out this podcast.

Final Thoughts 

It is important to remember that the value of advertising on Facebook is not lost with this latest update. If your business is currently seeing success in social media advertising, then you should certainly continue. If you have been considering starting advertising on Facebook, these updates should not deter you either! 

As user data protection becomes an ever-increasing concern within the tech industry, companies are continuously evaluating their policies and practices on how user data is collected and utilized, and advertisers must react accordingly. 

No matter the unforeseen changes that come to the world of iOS, Facebook and more, remember to stay tuned to our blog as our team is here to share relevant updates and news when it comes to your advertising strategies.