Facebook must ‘inflict pain’ on Apple, says Mark Zuckerberg

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In yet another interesting twist in the saga of Apple and Facebook, it has been revealed by The Wall Street Journal that Mark Zuckerberg told his team that “we need to inflict pain” for what he considered to be the poor treatment of his company. This information came to light again after months of controversy from Facebook about Apple’s upcoming policy changes, namely their implementation of App Tracking Transparency with iOS 14. App Tracking Transparency has been explained as a “nutrition label” for apps on the App Store. It prominently displays to users the types of data an app can use once installed, and it also requires developers to ask for permission before being able to track users across other websites and apps. Internally, Facebook has allegedly spent the months since Apple’s announcement planning and preparing for ways to either kill, slow down, or turn public opinion against Apple’s upcoming changes.

Recent reporting has suggested that Facebook is plotting its own antitrust lawsuit against Apple. In a statement, a Facebook spokeswoman said that Apple’s pitch of choosing between personalized services and privacy is a “false trade-off.”

This is not about two companies — this is about the future of the free internet. Apple is creating two sets of rules — one for themselves and one for small businesses, app developers, and consumers who lose out. Apple claims this is about privacy, but it’s about profit, and we’re joining others to point out their self-preferencing, anti-competitive behaviour. — A shortened quote from Dani Lever, a Facebook spokesperson

This quote from Dani Lever was reported on by the Journal just hours before it became public that Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey are reportedly in talks to testify before Congress for the fourth time in the past year. The two executives have reportedly been in discussions with members of the House of Representatives.

Last month, Tim Cook deconstructed Facebook’s business model, saying in an interview last month that valuing engagement over privacy leads to “polarization” and “violence.” According to Business Insider, Cook expressed ‘annoyance’ over business models that prioritised engagement above all and gathered user data to target users with advertising.

The tensions between the pair initially became public in 2014, when Cook criticised Facebook’s business model on national television. Zuckerberg was allegedly “shaken” by the interview, with tensions rising ever since.

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Published to Apple Scoop on 14th February, 2021.