After Facebook criticized Apple as a monopoly late last year, the firm is now preparing an antitrust lawsuit. It claims that Apple deceives developers by requiring them to comply with App Store rules its own applications do not follow, according to The Information.
The feud between the two companies began after Apple announced certain privacy changes in the iOS 14 update. The changes make it difficult for big companies like Facebook and Google to track their users.
Meanwhile, Apple notified its users to update “as soon as possible” the software to iOS 14.4, citing security flaws that affect some iPhones and iPads. However, it didn’t specify what the flaws were.
Facebook lawsuit case on Apple
The changes to Apple’s software enable the owner of an iPhone or iPad to choose what information is shared and on which applications it is used by default. Facebook criticized these Apple plans as they will limit apps’ ability to collect data from phones to use them for advertising more precisely.
In June last year, Apple said that this change would show a pop-up notification asking iOS users “permission to track it through applications and websites owned by other companies.”
According to a report, the Facebook lawsuit team is preparing a legal case. The company claims Apple’s application rules make it hard for developers to compete with the same company in games, messaging, and shopping.
Facebook has argued that iMessage comes pre-installed on iPhones and iPads, giving it a competitive advantage. This has led to it becoming the most widely used messaging service in the United States.
How these changes will also affect Google
According to The Register, Google warned iOS developers using Google’s ad tech that they may see less revenue once Apple cracks down on privacy. Apple announced these plans during its developer conference last year. They call it ATT (Apple Tracking Transparency).
Christophe Combette, group product manager for Google Ads, said on the company’s blog that changes to transparency and tracking policies implemented by Apple will affect advertisers.