Facebook will try to convince iPhone users to let themselves be tracked

Ruben Fields

February 3, 2021

Facebook and Apple have been engaged in a six-month-long privacy battle after Apple announced a new iOS update that would inform users of the apps that track their activity and give them the option to prevent the apps from doing so.

When you enable this feature, your phone will automatically unlock with your Apple Watch the next time you wear a face mask and bring your phone in front of your face. A recent report by The Wall Street Journal revealed that less than 20% of iOS 14 users are likely to accept Facebook's tracking.

That's it! You can now unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch when certain conditions are met. In this case, that's your face, which is a problem considering we've all been wearing masks for the better part of a year now whenever we leave the house. Future watchOS and iOS software updates will let you use AirPlay to stream the audio and video from Fitness+ workouts directly to AirPlay 2-enabled TVs and devices.

Facebook whose chief executive is Mr Mark Zuckerberg, is planning its own counter-move to Apple's prompt, which aims to seek users' consent before their data can be tracked by app developers

The features has always been available in Apple's Mac, but due to the lingering coronavirus, the tech giant sees it being just as useful in the iPhone.

Researchers at Tencent Security's Xianwu Lab cracked the code last Apple on how to train an iPhone to recognize users while wearing a mask. For this to work, the Apple Watch must be nearby or on the wrist to unlock. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook last week accused big tech companies, without naming them, of "data exploitation" by selling user information to target ads. App Tracking Transparency is one tool in Apple's arsenal. Additionally, users will receive haptic feedback on the Apple Watch once the iPhone is unlocked. If you do, your iPhone will then require your passcode to unlock. Keep in mind that beta versions of operating systems are not stable.

As expected, the feature would be highly useful amid the COVID-19 pandemic as people are advised to wear a mask whenever they are outdoors.

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