Apple vs Facebook, why they fight

In iOS14, Apple will change its privacy policy so that apps cannot collect IDFAs without user permissions for an advertising identifier called IDFA, which is required to serve targeted ads. Prior to this, in December 2020, it also announced that it would allow users to confirm the collection of app information, but Facebook, the world’s largest social media, is strongly opposed to Apple.

One of the companies that has been greatly influenced by Apple’s move is Facebook. In fact, a specification change that took place in December 2020 revealed that the Facebook app was collecting fairly extensive information from the iPhone. Facebook, known as the world’s largest advertising company, protested against Apple’s stance.

However, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to Facebook’s claims on Twitter, saying that the company believes users should be able to choose what data they collect and how they use it. .

He also said in January 2021 that the time has come to emphasize the important role of privacy and security in our lives, from protecting health and financial data to countering algorithms that leak misinformation on the need to manage data privacy more efficiently. He said there was a need for transparency and reform.

Steve Shutterfield, Facebook’s director of privacy and public policy, said Apple’s attempt is to undermine Facebook and other free apps business models made of ads. He claimed that Apple’s purpose was only for its own profit.

Reports point out that Facebook and Apple are at odds because their ways of making money are opposites. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg argued that the only way to build a social network that normally connects billions of people is to use the platform freely and be maintained by advertising. In the case of Facebook, users have to pay for their data if the technology or service is free.

On the other hand, Apple is developing hardware businesses such as Macs, iPhones, and iPads, and it is inevitable to stand up for privacy as it does not have to rely on advertisements. One expert said that there are applications that collect data like Facebook and are driven by the value of the data, and that Apple is becoming an application gatekeeper, requiring a certain level of privacy. Facebook and Apple clash because their positions are so different.

For Facebook, experts say Apple’s actions are only the first step. In the next one or two years, Apple could put the brakes on data privacy as well as advertising. Related information can be found here.