Zuckerberg Says Apple’s App Tracking Restrictions Could Put Facebook in a ‘Stronger Position’

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says Apple’s upcoming app tracking restrictions could put the company ‘in a stronger position’ than before. This despite Facebook launching a video and print campaign attacking the move.

Apple will soon prevent developers from being able to track devices across applications without getting explicit permission. This is a significant change for publishers and advertisers who rely on that ability to deliver targeted ads.

In a Clubhouse room on Thursday, Zuckerberg said he’s confident the company “will be able to manage through”. He explained that the change could lead to businesses selling more of their goods directly through Facebook and Instagram.

“It’s possible that we may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more businesses to conduct more commerce on our platforms by making it harder for them to use their data in order to find the customers that would want to use their products outside of our platforms,” Zuckerberg said.

Last year Facebook introduced Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops allowing brands to list products directly on the company’s apps. So far there are 1 million active shops and 250 million people actively using them.

“Compared to the early conversations we had about how people would use this across Facebook and Instagram and our product, I think this is something that’s well on track to be something that’s going to be increasingly important to people,” Zuckerberg said.

We’ll let you know when Apple’s App Tracking Transparency rules go into effect. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for updates.