Facebook may discontinue Audience Network for iOS 14

Facebook yesterday stated that app publishers could lose access to Facebook Audience Network on iOS 14, as “Apple’s updates may render Audience Network so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14.”

Facebook says advertisers ability to accurately target and measure their campaigns on Audience Network will be impacted on iOS 14, and as a result, publishers should expect their ability to effectively monetize on Audience Network to decrease.

Facebook will stop collecting the IDFA on their own apps, like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

Facebook expects Audience Network will be “disproportionately affected given its heavy dependence on app advertising.”

The new version of the Facebook SDK will provide support for Apple’s SKAdNetwork API / iOS 14.

Who is impacted mainly by iOS 14? Publishers that have free apps on Apple’s app store. Normally these apps are for free, as publishers monetize them through ads. Examples of these apps are classifieds, news, and weather, that may have to move to a subscription model, where Apple takes a fee up to 30%.

With iOS 14, app publishers need to ask users their consent. Apple is introducing a compulsory consent manager for all apps with ads, in the fall of 2020, on iOS 14.

Apple’s consent manager in-app enforces the opt-in model for tracking – to allow the use of the IDFA. IDFA is used by advertisers to target and measure their campaigns. Without the IDFA, CPMs can drop up to 50%. Without the consent, it is not clear if ads can be shown to users in Europe.

Google this month told mobile app publishers to prepare for the iOS 14.

Facebook also mentions that will ask advertisers to create a new ad account dedicated to run app install ad campaigns for iOS 14 users.