Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) is risking the ire of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) on exploring ways to circumvent the iPhone manufacturer’s new privacy rules that are due to be released in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
What happened: Snap, the father of the Snapchat messaging app, explored ways to collect data from companies that analyze whether people responded to advertising campaigns, according to the FT report, which cited internal company documents.
Snap hoped to cross-check the data with its own user database and then track users, in a technique known as “probabilistic matching”.
Although Snap acknowledged that it ran a probabilistic match program for several months to test the impact of Apple’s new policies, the company indicated that it planned to discontinue the program after Apple introduced the changes, according to the report.
See also: Snapchat parent to launch AR glasses and a drone, promoting hardware push: Report
Why does it matter: Apple’s upcoming privacy changes will give users more privacy from mobile advertising, but they are not popular with app developers, many of whom are small businesses. The new feature will require applications to obtain permission from users before tracking them, according to Apple.
Snap is not the only company to exploit Apple’s new privacy rules to continue tracking users without their permission. It was reported last month that Apple warned Chinese app developers and technology companies not to circumvent the new privacy rules.
Five of China’s largest technology companies, including Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTC: TCEHY) and ByteDance they are reportedly testing or implementing CAID, a system developed by the China Advertising Association, supported by the state, to identify and track users in the future. Other proposed workarounds use a process known as digital printing.
Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), the second largest recipient of advertising revenue after Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), bitterly criticized changes to Apple’s privacy rules for months, saying the changes could impact targeted advertising on its platform. However, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last month that changes to the rules could benefit his company if more companies decide to sell products directly through Facebook and Instagram.
Share price: Snap shares closed 4.2% higher on Thursday at $ 54.49, while Apple shares closed 0.7% higher at $ 123.00.
Read next: Microsoft narrowing tentacles around the Pentagon with $ 22 billion AR headset contract, says analyst
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