For the last couple of months, Facebook and Apple have been giving each other a hard time as a part of an ongoing feud. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is one of the popular messaging apps out there that competes with the likes of Apple’s iMessage. Just like with most Apple apps and services, iMessage is only available for the iOS platform. While WhatsApp is killing it in the Android space, the same is not the case on the counterpart. That’s where the ongoing feud comes in.
In Big Technology Podcast, WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart discussed numerous on-going events such as feud with Apple, battle with Signal, new laws in India, and much more.
WhatsApp Head comments on privacy labels, iMessage, Apple, and more!
A couple of months ago, Apple decided to bring the Privacy Labels feature to its App Store. With Privacy Labels, Apple will showcase the details of data being collected by apps. WhatsApp managed to surround itself in yet another controversy with the release of the App Store’s new privacy policy. If you check out WhatsApp on the iOS App Store, you will find a whopping 22 different data items that the company appears to be collecting.
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WhatsApp, on the other hand, raised a concern of Apple not showing any privacy labels for iMessage. Since the app is already installed on iPhone, users don’t take a closer look at privacy labels. WhatsApp might be taking this new privacy policy as a direct attack against Facebook. Soon after, Apple promised to put privacy labels of its iMessage on the website and it did. WhatsApp Head decided to counter that with the fact that Apple is hiding some of the labels such as payment information for some unknown reason.
Our label says we have payment information, iMessage’s doesn’t, what’s the difference? Why does ours say and theirs doesn’t? – Will Cathcart
Apple wants everyone to use iPhone!
When asked about whether Apple sees Facebook as the biggest competitor just like the latter does, Cathcart mentioned that Apple’s main interest is to have everyone using an iPhone. For instance, iMessage is widely used in the US as it has a large number of iPhone users.
If people switch to something like WhatsApp or another service it’s easier for their friends to go back and forth between an iPhone or an Android. – Will Cathcart
According to Will, Apple doesn’t want people to use WhatsApp since they want people to use an Android smartphone.
With that said, it looks like Apple and Facebook are in a serious feud that might last for a good amount of time. It would be interesting to see where this war will take both brands. It is clear to say that WhatsApp has a tough road ahead considering the recent privacy concerns.
