Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimised by the data breach? Well, then let’s gather around the campfire because you’re about to hear a drama. This drama is revolving around two Internet giants; Apple and Facebook.
It is no secret that Apple and Facebook have different ways of thinking regarding users’ security. Apple always prioritises data privacy while Facebook is kind of having a reputation on using the data. Now, the two key players are rebutting to give users the option whether to accept or refuse the collection of their data.
As we know, Facebook is using our data for its business model. Have you ever noticed that whenever you post a status or chat anyone on Facebook, you must get an advertisement for anything related to it? In particular, Facebook is worried about the possible effect of the decision on all businesses who are actually using it for advertising purposes and who receive a substantial part of their revenue from it.
Apple prevented this from happening by introducing a disclaimer message with each new download from the App Store in the latest version of iOS, coming this spring. The message will ask users if they are willing to share their personal data to be collected by the application installed.
To clear the intense atmosphere, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are now taking aim at one another by various means and media. Facebook has launched a marketing campaign to convince the users to accept being tracked for advertising purposes (yes, you read it right). Facebook is also playing defensive on saying that it could help the small and medium-sized companies that are increasingly dependent on advertising to survive amid the pandemic and its economic impacts.
Apple however, stands by its ground to protect their users’ data from their products.
In case you are wondering, you still can use Facebook all on your iPhone or any Apple products with or without giving away your personal data. And this is also not the first time Apple caught in such an issue. Last year, in summer 2020, Epic Games’ Fortnite was removed from the App Store for violating Apple’s commission collection regulations (30 percent) on in-app purchases.
No one likes to be stalked be it for personal reasons nor for business purposes. While both parties are having their own perspectives on the matter, the users’ privacy and rights must have been taken into consideration as well. After all, we have no choice but to use both of them regardless the policies.