Shocked by Facebook’s reaction to new ATT feature, Apple CEO, Tim Cook says it’s hard to argue against privacy

Apple CEO, Tim Cook defends the new iOS App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature on iOS and says that it’s “hard to argue against.” In an interview with New York Times’ Kara Swisher, Cook expressed shock over Facebook’s aggressive reaction to the upcoming privacy update.

The Cupertino tech giant is going to launch the new ATT update which will make it mandatory for developers to seek iPhone users’ permission to track their online activity across third-party apps and websites. Over the years, it has been noted that developers often use invasive means to gather users’ data to show targeted ads which not only affects their privacy but also risks their security. Therefore, Apple’s ATT feature will changes that forever, and advertisers like Facebook are very upset over it.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook says Facebook’s opposition to the new ATT feature is shocking

When asked about the social media company’s strong reaction to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency update, Cook said,

Swisher asked: “What is your response to Facebook’s response — which is quite vehement — calling you essentially an existential crisis to their business?” Cook answered: ” All we’re doing, Kara, is giving the user the choice whether to be tracked or not. And I think it’s hard to argue against that. I’ve been — I’ve been shocked that there’s been pushback on this to this degree.”

To sway the public’s opinion in its favor, Facebook launched an ad campaign in leading U.S newspapers accusing Apple of harming the small developers by changing tracking to run targetted advertisements and monopolizing free internet. And that strategy backfired. Facebook not only faced criticism from human rights organizations but also from its own employees.

Therefore, the social media giant has retracted its previous opinion of the ATT feature and now says that the upcoming privacy update might be beneficial for e-commerce if small businesses use Instagram and Facebook apps exclusively for commerce.

The complete interview will be published on Monday, April 5 which will also cover the App Store, the moment when former President Trump called him Tim Apple, other tech giants, and more.

via 9to5Mac