.png){kind=logo}
Apple CEO Tim Cook warned iPhone users about Facebook tracking across apps and websites in December 2020. The warning came after Facebook criticized Apple’s planned privacy rules for iPhones. Cook said Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency system would not stop tracking completely. Instead, it would require apps to seek permission before tracking activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
Cook shared the message on Twitter, now X, while defending Apple’s privacy approach. He wrote, “We believe users should have the choice over the data that is being collected about them and how it’s used. Facebook can continue to track users across apps and websites as before; App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 will just require that they ask for your permission first.”
Apple later introduced App Tracking Transparency with iOS 14.5 in April 2021. The feature changed how apps could collect data for advertising and measurement across other companies’ services. Apps must show a tracking permission request before accessing the device’s advertising identifier or using covered tracking methods.
The change gave iPhone users more control over cross app tracking. Anyone selecting “Ask App Not to Track” could prevent an app from accessing the advertising identifier. Apple also allowed tracking permissions to change later through iPhone privacy settings.
The policy created a major clash between Apple and Meta, Facebook’s parent company. Meta argued that Apple’s rules could hurt businesses that depend on personalized advertising. The company later estimated a roughly $10 billion business impact from Apple’s privacy changes.
Cook’s 2020 statement became an important moment in Apple’s wider privacy campaign. The company presented tracking permission as a user choice, while Meta viewed the change as a threat to targeted advertising. The debate continues shaping mobile advertising privacy rules worldwide.
Also Read: Apple Q3 Earnings: Tim Cook Highlights AI, iPhone Growth, Future Challenges
