Facebook and Instagram threaten to charge for access on iOS 14.5 unless you give them your data

Facebook and Instagram are threatening that users will need to pay for their services. But only if users don't allow the pair to track them from app to app after installing iOS 14.5.

Following the release of iOS 14.5 all apps must ask for permission before they can track a user between apps and websites. That has companies like Facebook worried about their ad revenue, and they're trying every trick in the book to make sure people allow them to track them.

To help people make a more informed decision, we're also showing a screen of our own, along with Apple's. It will provide more information about how we use personalized ads, which support small businesses and keep apps free. If you accept the prompts for Facebook and Instagram, the ads you see on those apps won't change. If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you. Agreeing to these prompts doesn't result in Facebook collecting new types of data. It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences.

Those screens are blatantly suggesting that users can "help keep Facebook/Instagram free" by allowing ads. That, in turn, suggests that declining could cause the companies to charge for access in the future, though it's unclear how likely that is given Facebook's ad-based business model.

It's also notable that Apple's App Store rules forbid apps from offering incentives for users to allow themselves to be tracked. It isn't immediately clear whether Facebook and Instagram are breaking that rule here or not, but it's definitely close!

Speaking of tracking, Apple's new AirTag item tracker is now here but is it the best for you? Check out the best alternatives to AirTag, too.