download video from facebook ads library

The more well-known an embedded ad lib, the safer the app may be, and vice versa. Unfortunately, this also resulted in many security issues, such as ad libs abusing the permissions to collect and leak private data, ad servers redirecting ad requests to download malicious JavaScript from unknown servers to execute it in the background of the mobile operating system without the user’s consent. The ad lib thus becomes a part of the entire app, and shares the whole permissions granted to the app. This is because app developers must embed a Software Development Kit (SDK), called an ad library or ad lib for short, provided by ad networks (i.e., ad companies) into their app program, and then merge and compile it into an Android PacKage (APK) execution file. Mobile app ads pose a far greater security threat to users than adverts on computer browsers.

We also explore the rationales for why such updates are carried out. Interestingly, in 13.75% of app updates (new version in the Google Play store) with at least one case of ad library update, we found no changes to the app’s own API, which suggests substantial added effort for developers to maintain ad libraries. Analysis of 13,983 versions of 5,937 Android apps collected over 12 months shows that almost half (48.98%) of the studied versions had an ad library that was added, removed, or updated. However, updating ad libraries also has expenses, which can become a major problem as ad library updates are becoming more prevalent in mobile apps.Hence in this paper, we first present the various expenses involved in updating ad libraries, then empirically explore the prevalence of “ad library updates” within Android apps.

Unlike other types of libraries, developers cannot ignore new versions of the current ad libraries or new ad libraries without risking a loss in revenue.

Advertisements are served through the embedding of specialized code, i.e., ad libraries.

Since more than 90% of mobile apps today are free-to-download, advertisements within apps are one of the key business models to generate revenue.

Download video from facebook ads library