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Tim Cook explains new App Tracking Transparency feature and how it will affect Facebook

Tim Cook touches on the ramifications of Apple's new App Tracking Transparency feature and how it will impact businesses like Facebook in a new interview.

Donovan Erskine

April 5, 2021 10:55 AM

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Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently interviewed by Kara Swisher for an episode of the Sway podcast. During the discussion, the two talked about a range of topics in relation to Apple’s business and Cook’s position as CEO. During the podcast, Tim Cook spoke about the upcoming App Tracking Transparency feature coming to Apple products, and how it will impact a number of companies, particularly Facebook.

Security concerns around smart technology are constantly rising in the modern era, and Apple looks to take another swing at combating privacy issues in a new update. App Tracking Transparency, abbreviated as ATT, will ask users for their consent to have their data tracked within different applications. Tim Cook spoke about what this will mean for both Apple users and other companies in the recent interview.

“I think that you can do digital advertising and make money from digital advertising without tracking people when they don’t know they’re being tracked. And I think time will prove that out. I’ve heard this about other things we’ve done in the past that it’s almost existential and it wasn’t. I don’t buy that,” Cook said. Facebook is infamous for its data tracking of its users, and spoke out against Apple’s new ATT feature.

Tim Cook declined to go too in depth about how the move will impact Facebook, as he states that this move is not about the social media giant specifically. However, he does express his surprise at the pushback the move is receiving. “I’ve been shocked that there’s been a pushback on this to this degree,” he said. Cook also says that the issues brought up by companies in regards to ATT are “flimsy arguments.”

Kara Swisher’s full interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook can be found now on Apple Podcasts. For future updates on the tech giant, bookmark the Apple topic page on Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_