One previewing an interview with New York Times‘Kara Swisher, due to be released on Monday, April 5, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he is “shocked” by the criticism Apple has received in recent months about future privacy changes in iOS and argued that they are “difficult to argue against. “
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Apple plans to begin implementing Transparency App Tracking (ATT) changes after the release of iOS 14.5, which means that all apps that access an iPhone’s ad ID, or IDFA, will need to request a user’s permission before allowing tracking.
The move has drawn criticism from companies, especially Facebook, which say the new changes will affect small businesses.
Facebook says small businesses rely on tracking to deliver personalized ads, and with ATT, those ads will be less effective. However, when asked in the interview how ATT will impact Facebook, Cook said he “does not focus on Facebook” and does not know.
Swisher asked, “What is your response to Facebook’s response – which is quite vehement – calling you essentially an existential crisis for their business?” Cook replied, “All we do, Kara, is give the user the opportunity. to choose whether to be pursued or not. And I think it’s hard to argue against that. I was – I was shocked that there were setbacks on this to this degree. “
Facebook initially went against ATT; however, the company has recently changed its tone. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg now claims that the new change may benefit Facebook, giving it an edge in the online commerce space.
We may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more companies to trade more on our platforms, making it harder for them to use data to find customers who would like to use their products off-platform.
Cook’s latest comments are just an excerpt from the full interview, which will be published on Monday, in which the CEO discusses the removal of Parler from the App Store, the power of Big Tech and how he is called “Tim Apple”.