Facebook to roll out privacy prompt to app users ahead of changes on Apple's iOS 14

Facebook will start to issue a prompt to users of its app on iPhones and iPads to request whether they will allow the social network to track their activity.

The prompt says users who choose to allow this will receive more personalized ads and "support businesses that rely on ads to reach customers."

"Agreeing to these prompts doesn't result in Facebook collecting new types of data," reads an update from Dan Levy, vice president of ads and business products at Facebook. "It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences."

Apple said it is planning to launch its own privacy control called App Tracking Transparency this spring aimed at preventing apps from secretly tracking users.

Facebook has been among the vocal critics of the tool, claiming it puts profit over privacy. "It will force businesses to turn to subscriptions and other in-app payments for revenue, meaning Apple will profit and many free services will have to start charging or exit the market," wrote Levy in a post from December.

During the virtual International Conference on Computers, Privacy & Data Protection, Apple CEO Tim Cook slammed social media companies for prioritizing data collection over stemming the spread of polarization and misinformation.

"Too may are still asking the question 'how much can we get away with?' when we should be asking 'what are the consequences?' What are the consequences of not just tolerating but rewarding content that undermines public trust in life-saving vaccinations? What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups," said Cook.