A new report from The Wall Street Journal (a subscription is required to read the article) says that Apple wanted to work with Facebook to get a “slice” of the latter’s revenue. All that fell apart when Apple introduced its App Tracking Transparency feature, the article adds.
Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency Framework for third-party apps with its updates iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5 in April 2021. ATT allows you to choose whether an app can track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for the purposes of advertising or sharing with data brokers. Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, apps must ask for permission before tracking your activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
Tracking occurs when information that identifies you or your device collected from an app is linked with information that identifies you or your device collected on apps, websites and other locations owned by third parties for the purposes of targeted advertising or advertising measurement, or when the information collected is shared with data brokers.
In the years before App Tracking Transparency was implemented (apparently sometime between 2016 and 2018), Apple suggested a series of possible arrangements that would earn tit a slice of Facebook’s revenue, according to the WSJ, quoting unnamed folks “who either participated in the meetings or were briefed about them.
The article says one of the ideas discussed was an ad-free version of Facebook for a monthly subscription. Naturally, Apple insisted the monthly subscription be offered through the App Store’s payment system, thereby giving it a 30% slice of all the revenue.
An Apple spokesperson responded to the report with this statement to the WSJ: “Every day, we meet and collaborate with developers of all sizes to make suggestions, address concerns, and help them continue to grow their businesses,” said an Apple spokesman, who added that the rules for app developers like Facebook are “applied equally to all developers because we think that fair enforcement results in the best user experience.”
A second Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal there was “no connection between any discussions of partnerships and the ad-tracking changes that were later implemented.
