Apple Intends To Roll Out Privacy Features Despite Facebook Crying Foul

Apple Inc AAPL reiterated its stance of giving users privacy controls and options on limiting apps tracking their digital footprints, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The iPhone maker will roll out the new privacy features in early spring, with a beta version out sooner for testing.
The new software update to its mobile OS would allow user ad tracking only if consumers opt-in. This means that companies like Facebook, Inc FB, Alphabet Inc’s GOOG GOOGL, Google, and others would not be able to collect a person’s advertising identifier without permission.
Tim Cook is due to speak at the Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection conference on Thursday on data privacy.
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg in his fourth-quarter earnings conference call, said that Apple is one of its biggest competitors. “iMessage is a key linchpin of their ecosystem,” remarked Zuckerberg. “It comes pre-installed on every iPhone and they preference it with private APIs and permissions, which is why iMessage is the most used messaging service in the U.S.”
Apple’s move has the app industry worried that opt-in requirements might lead many users to reject the request, resulting in the collapse of ad prices.
Price Action: In the pre-market session on the last check Thursday, AAPL shares are down 2.24% at $138.88, and FB shares are down 0.57% at $270.60.