Facebook's 'help keep us free' plea highlights the true cost of social media. Again.

It's not a terribly revolutionary or surprising thing to say at this point, but the user is the product for social media companies. That makes increased online privacy a scary thing for Facebook.

It's why the company, which also owns Instagram, has been pushing back against Apple's new privacy controls in iOS 14. That pushback adopted some new messaging in updates to the iOS Facebook and Instagram apps, warning that user tracking is what "helps keep Facebook/Instagram free of charge."

Ashkan Soltani, a technology reporter, consultant, and former Obama White House advisor, first spotted the app messages in a tweet posted Friday (h/t The Verge). Read more...