Facebook Adds New Privacy Setting for User Photos in Platform Ads
Last week, following rumors that Facebook was letting third party ad networks incorporate any user photos in ads without their permission, the company significantly tightened the rules on the ways ad networks operating on the Facebook Platform could make use of user photos and data.
Until last week, Platform ad networks could incorporate the profile photos of a users’ friends to make the ad more compelling, as long as the ad wasn’t deceptive. However, now, Facebook has prohibited all use of profile photos in Facebook ads unless specifically approved by the Platform team. As Facebook wrote last week,
Regardless of whether data is being sent to ad networks or not, ads that display user data are not allowed in Platform applications unless specifically approved by Facebook
Today, Facebook has added a new privacy setting to the Facebook Ads privacy settings page that allows users to specify whether they want to allow approved Platform ads to use their photos. However, although Facebook had added this setting, it says it actually is a moot point until Platform ads are approved in the future:
Facebook does not give third party applications or ad networks the right to use your name or picture in ads. If this is allowed in the future, this setting will govern the usage of your information.
Just for extra precaution, Facebook has beefed up the content on the Facebook Ads privacy settings page, adding the following popup box when users hit the page, as well as illustrations of how user data is incorporated in Facebook Ads and on the Facebook home page.
Popup Message:
Facebook Ads and User Data:
Overall, with the new rules Facebook is taking a very conservative stance on Platform ad privacy. Disallowing the use of profile photos in Platform ads that can benefit from social context will hurt Platform ad network monetization; hopefully, Facebook will begin approving ads that incorporate user data soon so that acceptable ad units can make their way back into the ecosystem. However, Facebook has not yet specified what that approval process is exactly.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:53 am
[...] Und am ganzen Skandal war eigentlich nicht wirklich Facebook selbst schuld… (Quelle: Facebook Adds New Privacy Setting for User Photos in Platform Ads, Facebook can use your pictures for ads, no permission [...]
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
http://blogfacebook.net/en/
August 4th, 2009 at 12:25 am
This new option is very good.
August 4th, 2009 at 2:11 am
and how can we get specifically approved by Facebook?
August 4th, 2009 at 3:28 am
Facebook already providing many privacy to their users. I think this is really a great move to secure more settings. Thanks for update. Keep it up Facebook
August 4th, 2009 at 6:02 am
[...] Facebook Adds New Privacy Setting for User Photos in Platform Ads "Today, Facebook has added a new privacy setting to the Facebook Ads privacy settings page that allows users to specify whether they want to allow approved Platform ads to use their photos. However, although Facebook had added this setting, it says it actually is a moot point until Platform ads are approved in the future: [...]
August 4th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Is there really a difference between this and using a friend’s picture with Facebook Connect to promote a product?
August 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I agree with Oliver. What is the difference between using Facebook Connect off network and using the information for platform ads?
August 5th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
[...] by Facebook’s user experience standards are now no longer allowed (Facebook also added a new privacy setting that will go into effect in the future). As a result, many developers have been wondering how this [...]
August 10th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
[...] viikolla Facebook kielsi kolmannen osapuolen mainosverkoilta käyttäjän kavereiden kuvien näyttämisen osana mainoksia [...]