Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apparently had some choice words for Apple during a recent company-wide meeting. According to a new report from BuzzFeed News Zuckerberg used the company-wide meeting as a way to criticize the control Apple holds over the iPhone and App Store.
The report explains that Zuckerberg was specifically asked about Apple’s recent decision to block certain gaming applications from the App Store, including Microsoft xCloud and even the Facebook Gaming application. Apple has explained that its reasoning for rejecting these applications is that the App Store rules do not allow third-party apps to distribute games as a separate platform.
In response to the question, Zuckerberg said that Apple has a “stranglehold” on what’s allowed on the iPhone, giving it the ability to block innovation and charge “monopoly rents.”
[Apple has] this unique stranglehold as a gatekeeper on what gets on phones,” Zuckerberg said to more than 50,000 employees via webcast. He added that the Cupertino, California-based company’s app store “blocks innovation, blocks competition” and “allows Apple to charge monopoly rents.”
“That’s innovation that could really improve people’s lives,” Zuckerberg said on Thursday. “And Apple’s just balking at it.”
The report goes on to say that Zuckerberg also criticized the iOS 14 privacy changes that will make it harder for companies like Facebook to track users across different applications and websites. Facebook has also criticized this change in public and warned its advertisers of the potential effects.
Finally, Zuckerberg also gave his two cents on the battle between Apple and Epic Games. The Facebook CEO said Apple’s threat to block the Unreal Engine was “just an extremely aggressive move” that was “quite problematic.”
Earlier today, Facebook revealed that Apple had blocked its plans to add a “transparency notice” advising users that Apple would receive a 30% cut of in-app purchases made in the Facebook app. This decision came after Apple refused to waive its 30% commission on revenue from in-app events like livestreamed fitness classes and seminars.
The full report can be read at BuzzFeed News, including details on Zuckerberg’s comments and potential role in the potential United States TikTok ban.
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