BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European trust head Margrethe Vestager has warned Apple Inc to give all apps on its platform equal treatment amid costly iPhone maker privacy changes anti-competitive practices from Facebook Inc.
Apple in the spring will ask iPhone users for permission to monitor their data for personalized ads in what it says is a move to protect users’ privacy but restrict the ability of apps collect data from people’s phones that can be used for targeted advertising.
Facebook has been among the most vocal critics losing a large portion of their revenue from Apple’s move.
Facebook in a blog post in December accused of anti-competitive behavior, saying that Apple’s own personal advertising platform would be exempt from the new requirement giving users a choice of whether to monitor third parties.
Vestager said that while the issue is related to privacy, it can turn into a case of breach of trust if Apple tidies up the flat area.
“It can be a competition if it is shown that Apple is not handling its own apps in the same way,” she told Reuters in an interview Monday.
Vestager said so far it has not received any complaints about Apple’s changes.
She said the privacy move is also similar to her proposal published last year to curb the powers of U.S. tech giants and allow consumers to have more control over their personal data.
“A clear withdrawal option is a great thing. If you look at the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, these are some of the solutions we are looking at. ”
Apple was not immediately available for comment. The company has said that the opt-out option would apply to all developers who monitor users – including Apple itself – but because it does not have its own advertising platform. monitoring users, the choice is a final point.
Apple is currently the target of two EU audits, one into its mobile payment system, Apple Pay, and the other into its App Store.
Reporting with Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Edited by Matthew Lewis