SAN RAMON, Calif. – Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday fired a series of thinly veiled shots at Facebook and other social media companies, raising an online privacy battle that puts the iPhone maker against digital services that depend on tracking people to help sell ads.
“Too many still ask the question ‘how much can we get away with?’ when we have to ask ‘what are the consequences?’ said Cook. ‘What are the consequences of not only tolerating content but also rewarding it, which undermines public confidence in life-saving vaccinations? What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups and then continue an algorithm that recommends more? ‘
Cook said at a virtual international conference on computers, privacy and data protection that it’s time to stop pretending that this approach has no cost – of polarization, lost trust and, yes, of violence. ‘
Cook never specifically mentioned Facebook FB,
or any other company. But his remarks left little doubt that his missions were directed at the social media sites that were criticized for allowing conspiracy theories, hate speech and political misinformation that led to the January 6 uprising that overwhelmed the U.S. Capitol while the Congress met to confirm the election. of President Joe Biden.
“A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe,” Cook added, referring to a Netflix documentary on the burgeoning effects of technology and especially social media on society. The film targeted Facebook and how algorithms manipulate its nearly 3 billion users to make them look at the ads that generate the most revenue.
Cook’s broad side was Apple AAPL,
prepares to introduce new privacy controls in early spring to prevent iPhone apps from secretly shadowing people. It puts the feature on track after a delay of more than six months aimed at helping Facebook and other digital services that rely on such data views sell ads.
Although Apple did not provide a specific date, the general schedule announced Thursday means the long-awaited security, known as tracking transparent app, will be part of an iPhone software update that is likely to end in March or on a certain point will come in April.
After Apple delayed the planned deployment of the security measure amid a scream led by Facebook, Apple earlier said it would appear earlier this year. Apple announced the latest schedule update as part of Data Privacy Day.
Apple has stopped giving Facebook and other app manufacturers more time to adapt to a feature that requires iPhone users to give their express permission to be tracked. Analysts expect a significant number of users to deny permission as soon as it requires their permission. Currently, iPhone users are regularly tracked by apps they install, unless they take the extra step of going to iPhone settings to prevent it.
“Technology does not need large amounts of personal data put together across dozens of websites and applications to succeed,” Cook said. “Advertising has existed and thrived for decades without it.”
In addition to Cook’s comments, Apple also released an 11-page report to illustrate how much apps can learn about their users in daily life.
Facebook intensified its attacks on Apple’s new privacy controls last month in a series of full-page ads in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other national newspapers. The campaign suggested that free digital services would be weakened if they could not compile personal information to customize ads. CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday questioned Apple’s motives for the changes, saying the iPhone maker “has all the incentives” to use its own mobile platform to interfere with opponents of its own messaging app.
“Apple may say it’s doing it to help people, but the movements are clearly keeping an eye on their competing interests,” Zuckerberg said.
Alphabet is GOOGL,
GOOG,
Google, which also relies on personal data to power the Internet’s largest advertising network, did not join Facebook in its criticism of Apple’s upcoming tracking controls. Google takes advantage of the fact that it is the default search engine on the iPhone, a valued position for which Apple pays between $ 9 and $ 12 billion annually to Apple.
But Google warned in a Wednesday blog post that Apple’s new controls would have a significant impact on the iPhone advertising revenue of other apps in its digital network. Google has said that a “handful” of its own iPhone applications will be affected by the new requirement, but plans to install it so that it is not affected by Apple’s new controls. It did not identify which programs.
“We remain committed to maintaining a vibrant and open app ecosystem where people have access to a wide range of ad-supported content with the confidence that their privacy and choices are respected,” said Christophe Combette, Google Ads Group Product Manager, writing.