Apple has responded to Facebook’s advertisements criticizing an upcoming iOS 14 privacy measure that will require users to grant permission to have their activities tracked for personalized advertising purposes. The requirement will kick in early next year.
In a statement, 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.”
Users will be prompted to allow or deny the tracking via a prompt that will appear when a user opens an app.
Apple’s full statement (shared by MacRumors):
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.
Apple has pointed out that the requirement does not prohibit tracking, but is simply requiring explicit user consent before the tracking can take place, thus providing users with more control and transparency. Apple says tracking can be invasive, and users deserve the right to select which app permissions they grant.
In the Settings app, users can view a list of apps that have requested permission to track for advertising purposes and adjust the settings as they see fit. Apple says it has been planning this move for years, and that it will apply equally to all apps and developers, even Apple.
Facebook on Wednesday ran full-page ads in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, featuring the headline “We’re standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere.”
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year said the anti-ad tracking feature could cut the Audience Network Ad revenue companies earn through Facebook by as much as 50%.
