FT: Meta secretly tracked iPhone users and inflated ad performance metrics
A former Meta product manager testified that the company inflated Shops Ads metrics by 20% and deliberately bypassed Apple’s privacy policies to boost revenue.
According to his testimony, Meta provided advertisers with gross sales data instead of net figures, failing to account for taxes and shipping costs, which inflated performance metrics by 17-19%. Additionally, the company concealed its subsidy program: Purkayastha claimed Mark Zuckerberg personally approved $160 million for free ad placements during the testing phase.
The collection of iPhone user data raised particular concern. After Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in 2021, which prohibited tracking without device owners' consent, Meta allegedly employed hidden «deterministic matching» methods to combine user information across different platforms.
The plaintiff claimed he repeatedly expressed concerns to management before being terminated. Meta attributed his dismissal to declining productivity and personal problems, stating these were «ordinary commercial matters, not legal violations.»
A labor dispute seeking his reinstatement is currently being heard in London. The judge found the claim potentially valid but denied the request for immediate reinstatement pending a final decision.
Читать на dev.by