Signal vs Facebook—Ad Fiasco! Privacy-Focused Messaging App Tries to Buy Instagram Ads to Highlight Facebook’s Data Harvesting, Gets Banned Instead
In an age of fear and distrust, Signal grew as a privacy powerhouse with its policy adhered to users’ confidentiality. At the start of this year, we saw the messenger app attracting millions of new users after a huge backlash against Facebook-owned WhatsApp. Not to mention, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s viral tweet doubled the number. Signal does not collect your data. The privacy-focused messaging app has now come after WhatsApp’s parent Facebook itself after it tried to run probably the most honest Facebook ad campaign ever. However, it got banned instead. While trying to buy Instagram ads to highlight Facebook’s data harvesting, Signal was banned by Facebook. Signal was quite vocal about the ban and garnered social media support, but Facebook remained quiet for long until finally releasing a statement. In this article, we will learn about the Signal vs Facebook ad fiasco.
Building on its viral messaging, Signal has now gone a step further. In a blog post, titled, “The Instagram ads Facebook won’t show you,” Signal alleged that the likes of Facebook are driven to collect people’s data to sell, and the messaging app aimed to showcase how the technology works. Hence, it tried to buy “multi-variant targeted,” ads on Instagram.
“We created a multi-variant targeted ad designed to show you the personal data that Facebook collects about you and sells access to. The ad would simply display some information collected about the viewer which the advertising platform uses. Facebook was not into that idea,” reads the blog post. Facebook had immediately blocked Signal’s advertising account after it tried to run the ad campaign. Signal posted examples of what the ads would look like on its blog, using examples of K-Pop fans and more.
Signal Gets Blocked by Facebook!
We wanted to use Instagram ads to highlight how ad tech invades your privacy. Instead, Facebook shut our account down: https://t.co/RCtGrIp60y pic.twitter.com/NMjz868KTe
— Signal (@signalapp) May 4, 2021
Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike tweeted another example that shows how a user could be targeted with ads based on their job, location, fitness interests, and dietary preferences.
Here’s the Tweet:
Signal tried to use Instagram ads to display the data Facebook collects about you and sells access to.
Facebook wasn’t into the idea, and shut down our account instead: https://t.co/sSqJ8JlxR7 pic.twitter.com/PU6WoDdt70
— Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) May 4, 2021
Facebook did not release any official statement on the same. However, reporter Alex Heath tweeted the company’s statement, “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.”
Facebook’s Statement!
Facebook statement: “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.” https://t.co/rB5ZDNOWwK
— Alex Heath (@alexeheath) May 4, 2021
Facebook Alleges Signal Didn’t Run the Ads
“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.”
Spicy!
— Alex Heath (@alexeheath) May 4, 2021
This Is What Signal Said in Response
We absolutely did try to run these. The ads were rejected, and Facebook disabled our ad account. These are real screenshots, as Facebook should know. pic.twitter.com/tUmMaNGO8J
— Signal (@signalapp) May 5, 2021
Signal’s users are privacy-minded and likely aware of the risks in their data being harvested. Facebook has suffered a number of privacy concerns. Just last month, it was reported that personal data of 553 million Facebook IDs from 106 countries including six million Indian users were leaked online. Even the company’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s private credentials were reportedly a part of the larger data set from 2019.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on May 05, 2021 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
