Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tim Cook took a swipe at Facebook after Mark Zuckerberg accused Apple of misleading users

Tim Cook took a swipe at Facebook after Mark Zuckerberg accused Apple of misleading users

"Technology does not need vast troves of personal data, stitched together across dozens of websites and apps, in order to succeed," Cook said.
Apple's privacy war with Facebook is escalating again.

CEO Tim Cook on Thursday launched an attack on business models that prioritize engagement above all and gather user data to target users with advertising.

"Technology does not need vast troves of personal data, stitched together across dozens of websites and apps, in order to succeed," he said in a speech to the European Computers, Privacy and Data Protection Conference. "Advertising existed and thrived for decades without it. And we're here today because the path of least resistance is rarely the path of wisdom."

While he did not mention Facebook by name, it appeared fairly clear he was referring to the social-media company.

"At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, 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," Cook said.

"It is long past time to stop pretending that this approach doesn't come with a cost — of polarization, of lost trust, and, yes, of violence. A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe," he added. That comment seemed to allude to the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," which examined social-media companies that monetize users' attention. The film prompted a response from Facebook, which dismissed it as sensationalist.

The Apple CEO seemed to call on lawmakers to regulate Facebook. "If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praise," he said. "It deserves reform."

Apple and Facebook have been at loggerheads since August, when Apple announced plans to begin forcing iPhone apps to ask users for consent before tracking them for advertising purposes.

This privacy update was originally scheduled to roll out with iOS 14 in September, but Apple delayed it after Facebook protested, saying the update would decimate its and other developers' ad revenue. Apple this week said the feature would finally roll out in early spring. Insider reported in December that the company was seeking a March release date.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg attacked Apple during a Facebook earnings call Wednesday, accusing the iPhone maker of making "misleading" promises about its privacy practices.

News broke Thursday that Facebook was preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple over its App Store rules for third-party developers. This fit with comments in which Zuckerberg accused Apple of abusing its App Store dominance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×