Facebook vs. Apple

INTERNATIONAL

SAN FRANCISCO - Social networking giant Facebook on Wednesday opened fire on Apple, saying the iPhone maker's new measures on data collection and targeted ads will hurt small businesses. The dispute between the tech giants centers on changes in the latest version of Apple's iOS operating software, which include a tracking transparency feature that Facebook claims will cripple its ability to serve up targeted ads. Many of Facebook's advertisers are small businesses, and it says it relies on user data to generate ads in ways that make them more relevant and likely to make money. "This is about control of the entire internet and how they attempt to control personalized advertising," Facebook vice president of business products Dan Levy said in a conference call. The social network took out full-page newspaper ads in major markets to make its case, and launched a "Speak up for small businesses" web page. Apple initially declined to comment on the Facebook onslaught. At a data privacy conference in Brussels last week, Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi predicted the new iOS features would cause drama. "It's already clear that some companies are going to do everything they can to stop the App Tracking Transparency feature... and to maintain their unfettered access to people's data," Federighi said. "We need the world to see those arguments for what they are: a brazen attempt to maintain the privacy-invasive status quo." US PRIVACY VS REVENUE FROM ADS Changes coming in iOS 14, the software that powers iPhones and iPads, include requiring apps to ask users for permission via the tracking feature to collect and share device-identifying data. That data is then linked with other user and device data to generate targeted ads.