The upcoming (eventually) release of 14.5, and in particular the introduction of Ad Tracking Technology, has prompted an almighty fight between Apple and Facebook. In a new video, the Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern explains what’s really going… with the help of some seriously ripped action figures.
Apple and Facebook Are on a Collision Course
We’ve reported a lot on The Mac Observer about the growing tensions between Apple and Facebook. Bloomberg News has a good writeup of how things turned sour between the two tech giants, and why this may be just the beginning.
In March 2018, Facebook Inc. was in the midst of a scandal involving political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and was facing serious questions about its stewardship of its users’ personal data. A commentator on MSNBC asked Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook what he would do if he were in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s shoes. “I wouldn’t be in this situation,” Cook said…. The feud has escalated rapidly over Apple’s forthcoming update to the software that powers its iPhones, which includes a requirement that developers get explicit permission to collect certain data and track users’ activity across apps and websites. Such a move could undermine the efficacy of Facebook’s targeted advertisements. In December, Facebook took out full-page ads in a trio of U.S. newspapers saying it was “standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere” by opposing the changes, which it describes as an abuse of market power.
[Updated] Tim Cook Links Facebook Model to Real World Violence in Speech
Tim Cook took aim at Facebook during his speech at a European data privacy conference, linking its business model to real world violence.
Mark Zuckerberg Alleges Apple's Privacy Protection's Will Hurt Small Firms
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg used the company’s earnings call to claim that Apple’s planned privacy protection will hit small firms.
Examining the Feud Between Apple and Facebook
James Titcomb has a op-ed in The Sydney Morning Herald where he pieces together the Apple-Facebook feud.
Over the past six months Facebook has become Apple’s chief antagonist, airing its gripes with investors, the media, its own employees and even the regulators writing the rules that will govern digital services for the next decade.
That is despite the companies not being traditional rivals: Apple sells hardware and runs subscription services; Facebook gets 98 per cent of its income through advertising.
I think the fundamental difference is that Facebook is doing everything in its power to become a mediator for reality. But so far it’s a mediator on platforms that it can’t control, and Apple is chipping away at some of the tools Facebook relies on, like targeted advertising.
Mark Zuckeberg Fights European Regulators
In a court filing in Dublin, Ireland, Facebook says if a decision by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission is upheld, the company would have no choice but to abandon Europe because of its bad business practices.
If the decision is upheld, “it is not clear to [Facebook] how, in those circumstances, it could continue to provide the Facebook and Instagram services in the EU,” Yvonne Cunnane, who is Facebook Ireland’s head of data protection and associate general counsel, wrote in a sworn affidavit.
The decision Facebook’s referring to is a preliminary order handed down last month to stop the transfer of data about European customers to servers in the U. S., over concerns about U. S. government surveillance of the data.
Mark Zuckerberg Doesn't Want to Put an "Apple Watch on Your Face"
Facebook has unveiled its Oculus Quest 2, and Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t want VR products to be like “putting an Apple Watch on your face.”
Mark Zuckerberg: Apple's App Store 'Deserves Scrutiny'
Apple’s App Store “deserves scrutiny,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a new interview with ‘Axios on HBO’.
Tim Cook to Antitrust Hearing: 'Apple Does Not Have a Dominant Market Share'
In prepared testimony ahead of an antitrust hearing, Tim Cook reminded Representatives that “Apple does not have a dominant market share.”
Facebook Publishes First COVID-19 Maps
Facebook has released the first maps built using COVID-19 data collected from a survey distributed across the social network.
Facebook Employees Write to Mark Zuckerberg Over Political Ads
Hundreds of Facebook employees signed a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, raising concerns over the company’s policy towards political adverts.
Governments Urge Facebook to Give Backdoor to End-to-End Encryption
The U.S and UK governments signed a major data access agreement and urged Facebook to provide a backdoor to end-to-end encryption.
If Elizabeth Warren Wins Mark Zuckerberg Will Sue the Government
Mark Zuckerberg is scared of Elizabeth Warren over her plan to break up Big Tech monopolies, and a leaked audio recording reveals a rant in which he pledges to sue the government if she wins. You know, just your typical Tuesday stuff.
You have someone like Elizabeth Warren who thinks that the right answer is to break up the companies … if she gets elected president, then I would bet that we will have a legal challenge, and I would bet that we will win the legal challenge. And does that still suck for us? Yeah. I mean, I don’t want to have a major lawsuit against our own government. … But look, at the end of the day, if someone’s going to try to threaten something that existential, you go to the mat and you fight.
A U.S. Senator Suggests Prison Time for Mark Zuckerberg
In an interview, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should be imprisoned for Facebook’s privacy scandals.
Facebook Rebrands Instagram and WhatsApp
Mad over Facebook’s terrible reputation, Mark Zuckerberg wants to rebrand Instagram and WhatsApp to make it clear who owns them.
UK Politicians Demand Answers on Facebook's Contradictory Evidence
Senior UK politicians accused Facebook of contradicting its own evidence about platform policy violations and demanded clarification.
Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes Says The Company Should Be Broken up
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes said that the social media giant needs to be broken up.
Activist Groups Launch Campaign to Remove Mark Zuckerberg from Board
Yesterday, two activist groups launched a campaign to remove Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook’s board of directors.
Digital civil rights group Color of Change and Majority Action, a corporate accountability organization, told the Securities and Exchange Commission that they will be urging Facebook shareholders to withhold their support for nominating Zuckerberg to the board.
The two groups argue that Facebook’s corporate structure gives Zuckerberg “control without adequate checks,” pointing out that he is CEO and holds 57.7 percent of voting rights in the company.
Mark Zuckerberg to Focus on Privacy at F8
Mark Zuckerberg will focus on privacy when he speaks at the F8 developer conference, saying Facebook has a new “privacy focussed” approach.
Hey Mark Zuckerberg? Transparency is Part of Privacy
Facebook has been accused of blocking efforts to study its ad platform. Andrew says that transparency is a big part of privacy.
