Signal exposes Facebook user data collection through Instagram ads
By MYBRANDBOOK
Signal has attacked Facebook for user data it collects and allegedly sells to third parties. In a blog post, the company has claimed that it bought ads on Facebook-owned Instagram to demonstrate the extent to which user data is collected by these services and how it is used for targeted advertising.
The post, titled ‘The Instagram ads Facebook won’t show you’, states that Signal created multi-variant targeted ads that showed exactly the extent of data that the social media giant collected. The idea behind the ads was simple. Signal used Facebook and Instagram’s shared adtech tools. It created ads that targeted users based on several types of data, ranging from basic information like their location, to extremely specific data like their hobbies, new purchases, or educational qualifications. The ads had a template wherein their specific details were filled using the data that Instagram and Facebook collected.
The only difference in these ads from the ones that usually run on these two platforms is that while other products use these data points to target their ads, privacy-positive Signal created a template that simply informed the users exactly what attribute of theirs caused them to be targeted for that ad.
However, apparently, this did not bode well with Facebook, which banned the messaging platform’s Instagram account for trying to run these ads, Signal has claimed.
A major portion of Facebook’s revenue comes from the targeted ads business, which has come under scrutiny after the Cambridge Analytica scandal made headlines a few years ago. And due to this high stake that Facebook has placed on this business model, it is not surprising that it may be quite sensitive to any threat that other tech companies pose to it in this regard. Facebook has denied Signal’s claims, calling them a “stunt” even as Signal remained firm on its allegations.
Regardless, Facebook’s data collection ways have been under the scanner for a while now, and conversations around this aspect have only grown louder after Apple joined them. This move can also be seen as Signal’s attempt to take on WhatsApp more openly.
BREAKING NEWS
TECHNO TRENDS
Nazara and ONDC set to transform in-game monetization with ‘
Nazara Technologies has teamed up with the Open Network for Digital Comme...
Jio Platforms and NICSI to offer cloud services to government
In a collaborative initiative, the National Informatics Centre Services In...
BSNL awards ₹5,000 Cr Project to RVNL-Led Consortium
A syndicate led by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (abbreviated as RVNL), along wi...
Pinterest tracks users without consent, alleges complaint
A recent complaint alleges that Pinterest, the popular image-sharing platf...
E-Magazine
TECHNOTAINMENT
Netflix adds 'Moments' feature for saving, sharing scenes from
Netflix has introduced a new “Moments” feature on its mobile app, whic
Jacqueline Fernandez come together with YouTuber Mr. Beast for
Jacqueline Fernandez has partnered with American YouTuber Mr. Beast to b
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Visa elevates Rishi Chhabra as new Country Manager for India
Rishi holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from The Ohio State Univ
Genesys welcomes Albert Nel as Senior VP and Regional Sales Le
Genesys continues to deepen its investment in the APAC region. Earlier this
OPEN YOUR EYES
INTERVIEWS
In India, 88% of Indian business leaders are planning to inves
As we move through 2024, it has become increasingly clear that AI is not ju
Bolstering its commitment to help build a truly self-reliant B
CP PLUS is dedicated to spreading a sense of security to every corner of In
HOT PICK
SonicWall Launches TZ80: A Powerful Solution for Remote Office
SonicWall announced today the launch of the TZ80, a groundbreaking securit
Gigabyte X3D Turbo: A Gaming Revolution
GIGABYTE X3D Turbo Mode is a cutting-edge feature that unifies cores distr
MAKE IN INDIA BRANDS
AMARA RAJA POWER SYSTEMS LTD.
ACER INDIA PVT. LTD.
BPE INDIA PVT. LTD.
ZOHO CORPORATION PVT. LTD.
EMINENT CIO'S OF INDIA
ICONS OF INDIA
Icons Of India : AALOK KUMAR
Aalok Kumar is celebrated as a global leader and recipient of the Peop...
Icons Of India : Puneet Chandok
Puneet Chandok is President, Microsoft India & South Asia and is respo...
ICONS OF INDIA : VIJAY SHEKHAR SHARMA
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur and multimil...
PARTNER SPEAKERS
PSU
NSE - National Stock Exchange
NSE is the leading stock exchange in India....
LIC - Life Insurance Corporation of India
LIC is the largest state-owned life insurance company in India...
RailTel Corporation of India Limited
RailTel is a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider in Ind...
VIDEOS
Top 25 Brands
Global Indian industry
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Aneel Bhusri, CEO, Workday
Aneel Bhusri, Co-Founder and Executive Chair at Workday, has been a le...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - RAVI KUMAR S, CEO- Cognizant
Ravi Kumar S, appointed as CEO of Cognizant in January 2023, sets the ...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Steve Sanghi, Executive Chair, Microchip
Steve Sanghi, the Executive Chair of Microchip Technology, has been a ...
STARNITE AWARDS 2024
ITFORUM 2024
CMO of the Year
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
IMAGE GALLERY
TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY
MORE VIDEOS
ADVERTISEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION
UNICORNS REVOLUTIONISING
