A new proposed class action complaint has been filed against Meta, accusing it of snooping and collecting iPhone users’ personal data, despite the fact that Apple has adopted measures and rules to prevent such surveillance.
In August, it was revealed that Meta could track a user’s every move on Facebook and Instagram browsing. Meta can track a user’s activity on a Web site, including which links they choose and what text they select, as well as any text they enter, including sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
The Arr Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy prohibits apps from tracking users without their consent in Apple’s own apps and between third-party apps and websites.
According to Bloomberg Law, a new lawsuit was filed Wednesday in San Francisco federal court against Meta alleging the company committed the violation. Meta is accused of violating Apple’s ATT framework as well as state and federal laws by collecting user data without the user’s knowledge in its Facebook and Instagram apps, leading to the proposed class action.
The vast majority of iPhone apps use Apple’s Safari to trigger in-app links. But Meta built a specialized browser for Instagram and Facebook using Apple’s WebKit technology. “Meta Pixel” tracking JavaScript code can be injected into all displayed links and Web pages thanks to the Meta browser.
Meta is accused of violating Apple’s guidelines, which prohibit tracking by using Facebook and Instagram browsers in apps to do so. The lawsuit alleges that Meta can “intercept, monitor and record its users’ interactions and conversations with third parties,” which it then “aggregates, analyzes and uses to increase its advertising revenue,” according to Bloomberg Law.
Meta was against Apple’s ATT policy since it was introduced in June 2021, arguing that it would be bad for small businesses that rely on targeted advertising.
In a full-page ad, Meta argued that Apple is holding back small business expansion because users who reject monitoring are less likely to see ads tailored to their interests. Specifically, Meta expects to lose $10 billion in revenue this year because of the ATT framework introduced by Apple.
According to a Meta spokesperson:
These allegations are baseless, and we will vigorously defend ourselves. We have designed our in-app browser to respect users’ privacy choices, including how data can be used for advertising.