Apple And Facebook Disagree Over Privacy Policy, Personalized Ads

The latest iOS 14 software update has forced Facebook and Apple to get involved in a tussle over privacy policy, and personalized ads work. Earlier, Apple announced that it would allow users to choose if a specific app or website can track them.

"With iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and tvOS 14, you (developers) will need to receive the user's permission through the AppTrackingTransparency framework to track them or access their device's advertising identifier. Tracking refers to the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies' apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers," Apple said in a statement.

Facebook took it seriously and launched a campaign against Apple. Surprisingly, it ran full-page ads in popular newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, stating, "Apple's new rules "limit businesses' ability to run personalized ads and effectively reach their customers. While limiting how personalized ads can be used does impact larger companies like us, these changes will be devastating to small businesses adding to the many challenges they face right now."

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that users should have a choice over the data collected about them and how it is used. "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," Cook said via a tweet.