Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Apple to allow users to block apps from tracking activity in move angering Facebook

Apple to allow users to block apps from tracking activity in move angering Facebook

Apple has announced that it will soon roll out a feature allowing users to block tech companies from tracking activity online and on other apps in a move that’s angered Facebook over its impact on data collection.

When the new privacy measure kicks into action in the next few weeks, users will receive a notification informing them that a tech company would like to track their activity on other apps and websites that they visit, as well as giving companies a chance to justify why users should allow monitoring. Users will then get to choose to allow tracking or block further data collection.

The feature, dubbed App Tracking Transparency, will be included in the company’s iOS 14.5 update, expected to be released in April, although Apple won’t begin prompting users until later in the spring.

Facebook has complained to Apple about the new measure, calling it a “discouraging prompt,” arguing that it will hurt app developers and claiming Apple is engaging in anti-competitive action to boost its own advertising features.

Apple has robustly defended the feature by stating that tracking will not be prohibited, it will simply require companies “to obtain explicit user consent” and make the whole process “more transparent and under user control.”

It comes after Apple CEO Tim Cook declared that tech companies can “no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement,” seen as a shot at Facebook’s data collection methods.

"If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praise."


The rollout of the feature and the spat with Facebook come as Apple fights off legal action by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, over claims that Apple suppresses competition by forcing developers to use its own payment system, rather than directly through the app.

Facebook has announced that it will support Epic Games in its legal challenge, offering to provide information showing how the company believes Apple’s actions have hurt its business in pursuit of “control of the entire internet.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×