Just a few days after the Wall Street Journal reported potential talks between Apple and Meta to integrate Meta’s AI models into Apple devices, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has clarified that Apple has no such plans, writes Techcrunch.
According to Bloomberg, Apple briefly discussed a potential partnership with Meta back in March. At that time, Apple was exploring AI integration options with multiple companies. However, these talks didn’t go far.
Apple decided against using Meta’s AI models on iPhones due to privacy concerns. The company has been a vocal critic of Meta’s privacy practices, so a partnership might have damaged Apple’s reputation.
Instead, Apple introduced its own AI features under the Apple Intelligence brand earlier this month. The company also announced a partnership with OpenAI, allowing iPhone users to use ChatGPT for some tasks.
However, this deal isn’t exclusive—Apple is open to working with various AI models. At the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple confirmed a collaboration with Google to integrate its AI model, Gemini.
Even though Meta’s AI won’t be directly built into Apple’s devices, Meta will continue to leverage its own apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger, which together have billions of users. Recently, Meta launched its Meta AI chatbot widely in India, the company’s largest market.
Apple vs. Facebook: The Battle Over Privacy and Advertising
The clash between Apple and Facebook over user privacy has been making headlines for a longtime now.
Apple, adhering to a philosophy established by Steve Jobs and carried on by Tim Cook, maintains that privacy is a fundamental human right.
The company is committed to giving users transparency and control over their data. In contrast, Facebook argues that these measures hurt small businesses, stating that personalized ads are crucial for their success.
On April 26, 2021, Apple released the iOS 14.5 update for iPhones and iPads. While it seemed like a routine update, it included a significant change: app developers now have to explicitly ask for permission to track users’ behavior across Apple’s App Store and the internet.
This change poses a direct threat to Facebook’s business model, which relies heavily on targeted advertising.
Apple has been gradually limiting the amount of data apps can collect, allowing users to turn off location tracking and informing them if an app tracks their location in the background.
Many still question the extent of data collection.
“Right now, users may not know whether the apps they use to pass the time, to check in with their friends, or to find a place to eat, may in fact be passing on information about the photos they’ve taken, the people in their contact list, or location data that reflects where they eat, sleep, or pray,” Tim Cook said at the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference.
Apple required app providers to disclose their data collection practices through “nutrition labels” in the App Store.
These labels revealed the extensive data collection by apps like Facebook Messenger, leading to an exodus of users to encrypted apps like Signal, especially after Facebook announced plans to use WhatsApp data for advertising.
Facebook’s response has been one of strong opposition. While privacy groups have welcomed Apple’s new controls, Facebook views them as a direct threat to its business. Apple accuses Facebook of disregarding user privacy, but Facebook argues that these measures hinder small businesses from effectively placing ads.
“Apple’s new prompt is designed to present a false trade-off between personalized ads and privacy; when in fact we can provide both,” a Facebook spokeswoman said. Facebook also contends that Apple’s disclosures lack context about how the collected data is used.
The privacy battle is unlikely to subside soon. Cook has hinted that data collection by companies like Facebook contributes to the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories.
“We can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement – the longer, the better – and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible,” he said.
On the eve of Cook’s speech, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg accused Apple of acting out of competitive interests rather than privacy concerns. “We’re also seeing Apple’s business depend more and more on gaining share in apps and services against us and other developers,” he said.
“Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work, which they regularly do to preference their own.”
Meanwhile, Google has taken a less combative approach. The company has indicated that it is working to comply with Apple’s changes, acknowledging that these could significantly impact Google ad revenue on iOS.