Apple Responds to Facebook's Anti-Tracking Criticism, Says Users Deserve Control and Transparency

Apple has responded to Facebook's criticism over an upcoming iOS 14 privacy measure — specifically a change that will require users to grant permission for their activity to be tracked for personalized advertising purposes starting early next year.

ios 14 tracking permission prompt
In a statement provided to MacRumors, Apple said "we believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users," adding that "users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not." The options to allow or deny the tracking will be presented in the form of a prompt that appears as necessary when users open apps.

Apple's full statement:

We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising, it simply requires they give users a choice.

As part of its response to Facebook, Apple emphasized that it welcomes in-app advertising and is not prohibiting tracking, but simply requiring apps to obtain explicit user consent in order to track users for personalized advertising purposes, providing users with more control and transparency. Apple said tracking can be invasive, and as a result, it believes users have the right to make choices about the permissions they grant to apps.

Apple also highlighted the fact that developers like Facebook will be able to edit a section of the text that appears in the prompt to explain why users should allow tracking, and it provided a screenshot to visualize this.

facebook ios 14 tracking prompt
In the Settings app, users can view which apps have requested permission to track for advertising purposes, and make changes as they see fit. Apple said that if it becomes aware of an app that violates its App Store Review Guidelines in relation to this change, the developer must address the issue or the app will be removed from the App Store.

Apple said that this change has been on its roadmap for years, and that it will apply equally to all developers, including Apple.

Last, Apple noted that it is expanding its privacy-preserving SKAdNetwork ad attribution API, allowing third-party ad networks serving ads across a wide variety of apps to provide ad attribution to developers without knowing the identity of the user. Apple says SKAdNetwork is free to use and that it does not monetize the API.

Facebook's Criticism

Earlier today, in a blog post and a full-page ad published in three major newspapers, Facebook claimed that Apple's tracking change will have a "harmful impact on many small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat."

"We disagree with Apple's approach and solution, yet we have no choice but to show Apple's prompt," said Facebook. "If we don't, they will block Facebook from the App Store, which would only further harm the people and businesses that rely on our services. We cannot take this risk on behalf of the millions of businesses who use our platform to grow."

Facebook said Apple's anti-tracking change is "about profit, not privacy," claiming that small businesses will be forced to turn to subscriptions and other in-app payments for revenue, in turn benefitting Apple's bottom line. Facebook also accused Apple of setting a double standard, claiming that the iPhone maker's own personalized ad platform is not subject to the upcoming iOS 14 policy, a claim that Apple has now denied.

"We believe Apple is behaving anti-competitively by using their control of the App Store to benefit their bottom line at the expense of app developers and small businesses," said Facebook. The company said it would continue to "explore ways to address this concern," including supporting Epic Games in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

Top Rated Comments

Onelifenofear Avatar
30 months ago
There isn’t a violin small enough for Facebook.
Score: 97 Votes (Like | Disagree)
innovationwho Avatar
30 months ago
I wish people that think Facebook is the best way to stay up to date with people were paying attention to this.
Facebook needs you to survive and profit. You do not need facebook.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Altivec88 Avatar
30 months ago
I give a big face palm to anyone that's against having this choice. As mentioned you are free to accept tracking if that's what you desire.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
30 months ago
I'm with Apple on this issue.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ? Avatar
30 months ago
Give it up Facebook! Cry somewhere else please. Facebook is about to end up like MySpace.



Attachment Image
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hot-gril Avatar
30 months ago
Again it's not clear, but if the phone is indeed providing a unique advertising identifier to apps, that is totally something the user should be able to control.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...