Is this another consequence of Apple’s iOS data tracking change? Meta is subtly altering the way it uses Location Services in Facebook, with the depreciation of several local-based functions, including weather alerts, nearby friends, and location history.
Another One
Resident social media expert Matt Navarra shared an example notification showing an alert that users see within their Facebook notifications stream. In more detail, Meta states that these services will no longer be available after May 31st, at which point, Meta will also stop collecting the information used to power these elements, regardless of whether or not you previously enabled them. Meta adds that all your previously logged information relating to these functions will be deleted on August 1st.
When asked about the change, Facebook had only this to say:
“While we’re deprecating some location-based features on Facebook due to low usage, people can still use Location Services to manage how their location information is collected and used.”
It would seem that low usage is the primary cause – people don’t really seem to bother with these new features, so Meta chooses to remove them instead. It makes sense if you look at it that way, but then again, Meta’s never been known to be the type to easily give up user data. It’s highly unlikely that Meta chose to deliberately depreciate these additional insights of its own accord.
It’s possible that this helps Meta reduce the size of these notifications, which are now shown to all iOS Facebook users. Maybe, with the removal of these less essential data tracking tools, Meta can scratch some of these elements from Apple’s ATT prompts, which will make people slightly less likely to turn off data tracking entirely. Then again, it might also have something to do with the ever-increasing data privacy regulations in Europe. Last year, it was reported that Facebook had started using device accelerometer data as an alternate means to locate users; even if a user opted out of tracking via the ATT update, Facebook engineers apparently found a way to accelerometer data to match up location information. Perhaps the company is now under pressure to end this, despite it being mostly a workaround of sorts.
The Wrap
Both Meta and Google have faced significant fines over user data tracking. Maybe, this new push is now growing to limit Meta’s efforts to subvert these measures, hence explaining why it’s removing the options now, bypassing potential legal troubles.
Then again, it could be as Facebook says – why keep these around when no one uses them anyway? Whatever the reason, Facebook is about to lose another swathe of data, which would’ve otherwise further fueled its almighty ads platform. Again, it’s unlikely that Meta did this voluntarily, but the lack of sufficient information as of the moment prevents us from making any definitive explanation. Guess it’s another waiting game for now.
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