Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
James Martin
The public rivalry between Facebook and Apple keeps heating up.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it clear earlier that he is not happy with Apple’s privacy update that will get users to give apps, including the social network he co-founded, permission to track his activities on others applications and the web. Apple, on the other hand, said the move is intended to give users more control over their data. Apple is expected to launch the change in early spring.
On Thursday, Zuckerberg reiterated his concerns about the Apple update in a discussion of the exclusive audio app for Clubhouse guests, noting that the update could hurt small businesses and developers more than Facebook, which makes billions of dollars in ads. every quarter.
“The reality is that I am confident that we will be able to manage this situation well and we will be in a good position. I think we may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more companies to trade on our platforms,” he said. he. Zuckerberg hopes, however, that small businesses and developers will have a harder time navigating the changes.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made an appearance at the Clubhouse on Thursday. It was the second time that he participated in an interview in the exclusive audio app for guests.
Screenshot of Queenie Wong / CNET
Facebook is not the only company that has problems with Apple. Zuckerberg was joined by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, who commented that the music streaming service filed a antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission in 2019. The complaint partially focuses on the 30% cut that Apple takes from all in-app purchases.
“My opinion is that this is very damaging, not just for Spotify, but all kinds of broader ecosystems of developers and app developers and that’s also why we filed the formal complaint,” said Ek.
Based on Ek’s comments, Zuckerberg added that Facebook had to “come and go for a long time with Apple” to prevent the iPhone manufacturer from receiving a share of a news product that Facebook built and other features during the pandemic that the social network did not do. Don’t take a portion of the revenue out of. “I really think this is a big problem,” he said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In November, Apple announced that it would cut its App Store commission to 15% for small businesses earning up to $ 1 million a year as part of a new program.
Zuckerberg and Ek were participating in a program at the Clubhouse called PressClub, hosted by Josh Constine, head of content for SignalFire, a venture capital firm in San Francisco.