Zuckerberg Rejected by Apple, Targets iMessage in Ad Campaign

Has the Battle for the VR Device Market Begun?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has launched a new advertisement targeting Apple's iMessage. As Meta has suffered significant revenue losses due to changes in Apple's privacy policies, the rivalry between the two companies is intensifying and expanding into the virtual reality (VR) device market, creating a tense atmosphere.

On the 17th (local time), according to US CNBC and others, Zuckerberg posted a photo of an advertisement displayed at New York's Penn Station on his Instagram. The ad claimed that Meta's WhatsApp is more private and secure than Apple's text messaging service.

Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram, "Meta's WhatsApp protects personal messages on all devices with end-to-end encryption technology," adding, "It is much more private and secure than iMessage."

He also targeted Apple by saying, "With WhatsApp, you can make all chats disappear with just the press of a button," and "We introduced this feature last year, and iMessage does not have it."

End-to-end encryption technology maintains encryption throughout the entire process from sender to receiver. Only the sender and recipient can read the messages, allowing users to communicate safely and securely. It works on both Android and iPhone devices. In contrast, iMessage is Apple's messenger service, available only on iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

Behind Zuckerberg's criticism of Apple lies Apple's new privacy policy. Apple introduced a feature in the latest operating system version iOS14 that prohibits tracking users' app activity records, which dealt a heavy blow to Facebook, which earns revenue by providing personalized ads to users.

In response, Zuckerberg publicly criticized Apple during the Q4 earnings conference call last year, saying, "Apple benefits greatly from disrupting other apps." He claimed Apple's policy change was for unfair gain and directly stated, "Apple's new policy will harm millions of small and medium-sized businesses worldwide that rely on targeted advertising." Apple CEO Tim Cook countered by calling Meta's business model violent, saying, "They make money by selling ads based on user information."

There is also analysis that Zuckerberg's recent remarks hint at a renewed clash between the two companies in the VR headset market. Apple is developing a VR headset and is preparing to launch its first model, the 'Reality Pro.'

For Meta, which has heavily invested in new 3D metaverse businesses including VR devices to diversify its social media-focused business, Apple's challenge is unwelcome.

Zuckerberg previously stated in the 2018 earnings announcement, "Our biggest competitor is iMessage," and in employee meetings, he has described the competition between Meta and Apple as very profound and philosophical, recognizing Apple's entry into the VR headset market as a competitor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.