Ever heard the saying, “A dog doesn’t bark only to protect the home, it also barks to protect itself”?
Makes us think of Facebook’s latest link tracking update…
Scrapping the scrapers: Facebook announced they’re overhauling Facebook Identifiers (FBIDs) and replacing them with Pseudonymised Data Identifiers (PFBIDs).
The new identifiers combine a timestamp and FBID to create a unique, rotating post URL every time.
Why the fancy new letters: Facebook says their new identifier prevents unauthorized scraping, i.e., collecting sensitive data like emails or mobile phone numbers and using them for financial gain.
Good timing: Of course, read between the lines and you’ll realize that the new identifier can prevent browsers from removing tracking components from URLs.
And that’s interesting because Facebook’s new identifier arrived shortly after Firefox launched a feature that removes tracking parameters from URLs. A coincidence?
Why we care: Maybe the timing and the context of the update is convenient for Meta. But it’s good news for marketers, too.
It means that links coming from Facebook will maintain their tracking features for the time being.
That means one less attribution headache for you… for now.