But as 2021 begins, there are already some "fights"' underway that can affect Apple's business in the short and long term. Of course, a company with as many resources as Apple can withstand the bad situations that sometimes arise, but sometimes there are trials that are difficult to prevent.
Let's take a look at the three fights we can expect over the next year and how Apple will cope with this crisis.
Apple vs. Facebook
If you're paying attention to tech news, you've seen an attack launched recently by one of Apple's rivals. Facebook is attacking Apple's ATT (App Tracking Transparency) policy.
As Facebook argues, this policy could completely destroy Internet advertising, especially for small businesses that rely on advertising to sell their products. Facebook posted a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, claiming to be an advocate for these small businesses in the face of Apple's ``tyranny''.
So, what is the ATT policy? As the name of the policy is. Many websites and apps use third-party ad networks like Facebook to track user information and aggregate customer activity data across the network. This information is used to build customer profiles so that ad networks can create targeted, targeted ads. You've been thinking about a product, and you've probably seen an advertisement for that product suddenly pop up. These advertisements use the tracking techniques used by advertising companies.
According to Apple's new policy, apps should ask users beforehand if they agree to such tracking. If tracking is enabled by default now, it is more likely to be disabled in the future. Not surprisingly, Facebook and other ad networks do not welcome this policy because the current situation is more favorable and most users will not rush to activate it. However, Apple claims that this policy can increase transparency and protect consumer privacy, which is difficult to refute. The ATT policy is expected to take effect from iOS 14.4, which will be released soon, but the fight has already begun.
Apple vs. Epic Games
The App Store was a debate last year. First of all, cannons were fired from Fortnite. The debate began when Epic Games, the developer of the popular free game Fortnite, protested against Apple's app store for being anti-competitive and unfair.
The root of the problem was Epic's attempt to add a direct payment option to the iOS app to avoid the Apple App Store's 30% commission policy. This is explicitly forbidden by Apple's regulations. But when Epic didn't withdraw, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, and Epic revolted.
In other cases, Apple and the developer may agree to solve this problem, but Epic is a big company in itself and, although there have been some publicity mistakes in this fight, it has pinched Apple's weaknesses. That's the app store practice. Apple has long argued that keeping iOS closed is a key factor in the security of the platform, but many developers argue that Apple's decisions are unfair and arbitrary.
Apple and Epic have already exchanged legal proceedings, but a formal trial will take place in May. As a result of the trial, it is likely to have a significant impact on Apple's relationship with the developer that powers the App Store platform.
Apple vs. Government
It's not just competitors attacking Apple. In particular, as the U.S. government tightened the surveillance of Big Tech companies, Apple failed to avoid the attention of Congress and regulators.
US lawmakers have questioned the privacy and competition issues of the Apple App Store. Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with other tech company leaders, was summoned to Congress last summer, where Apple received less scrutiny than Facebook or Google. But that doesn't mean there will be no further investigations. The launch of the new administration creates an environment where the government is much more interested in regulation and legislation, so it is likely to be subject to intense scrutiny along with other big tech companies.
Meanwhile, in June of last year, the European Commission (EC) launched an investigation into app stores and Apple Pay on anti-competitive practices. The App Store survey, similar to Epic's case, was fueled by Spotify's accusations that Apple is using its influence to suppress competition. In the case of Apple Pay, it has been argued that Apple competes unfairly with other payment apps by letting Apple use an NFC chip in its built-in software. There is no deadline for the investigation, but there will certainly be more progress this year.
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