CBS has published a short clip of an interview with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, which will be broadcast this morning, Wednesday, US time, in which it will talk about a "big initiative" for the American company.

And before you get too excited, you should know that it's not about iPhones, as Gail King, the presenter of CBS This Morning, warned that the announcement is about a "big new initiative", and not a new product from Apple.

In the short clip broadcast by the channel, Cook and host Gail King discussed the events that took place at the US Capitol building last week, where the CEO of Apple stressed the importance of holding people accountable for their actions and the consequences of them.

Does the initiative have anything to do with Congressional events?

There is no confirmed information about the nature of the advertisement except that it is not a product of Apple, which is accustomed to offering its products through its own advertisements and not through programs on TV channels.

But due to Tom Cook's talk about the riots that occurred in the Congress building last week and his demand to hold all those involved in these events accountable, there was speculation about the relevance and timing of the announcement to the events that took place in the Capitol.

What denies this possibility is that this interview was scheduled in advance, that is, before the riots, which means that the announcement has nothing to do with the riots in the Capitol.

#EXCLUSIVE: @GayleKing spoke with @Apple CEO Tim Cook about the assault on the Capitol and what he thinks needs to happen next.

See more of @ tim_cook's interview Wednesday on @CBSThisMorning when he'll announce a major new initiative, that's not a new product.

pic.twitter.com/QPYyoDVFv7

- CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 12, 2021

Ads .. Privacy .. Facebook

They are 3 words that are the key to predicting what the "big" Apple ad will contain today, and each of these words has a story and carries signs that help in knowing what the new Apple ad could be about.

Advertising war

We start with the advertising war between the tech giants Apple and Facebook, which began a long time ago, but raged over the past months when Apple announced its new update to the operating system, "iOS 14", which alerts users about applications that store user information. Later used to target it with targeted ads.

Facebook, one of its largest ad promoters, met strong opposition for this update, as it was stated that this measure would greatly harm the small program developers who profit from ads.

Apple said it would delay making changes to its privacy policy, which could reduce ad sales by Facebook and other companies targeting users on iPhones and iPads, until early next year.

And Apple announced new privacy rules in June of last year and it was scheduled to go into effect with the launch of the operating system "iOS 14" during the fall of 2020.

Among them is a new requirement that advertisers who use Apple's tracking ID or other tools with a similar function must now display a pop-up notification requesting permission to track.

And Apple said in a statement at the time that "upon activating the new feature, the system will grant users the right to accept or reject this tracking for each application separately."

"We want to give developers the time they need to make the necessary changes, and as a result, the requirement to use this tracking permission will come into effect early next year," she added.

And Facebook warned that the privacy changes that Apple is planning in version 14 of the operating system "iOS" "will" disproportionately affect "thousands of developers who use Facebook's tool to display ads in external applications.

Is the big announcement related to this trend from Apple to limit data collection?

Encourage privacy

Apple used to emphasize its focus on privacy during the same week as the Consumer Products Show (CES).

Last year, Apple came to the Expo for the first time in decades to participate in a roundtable on privacy alongside Facebook and other companies.

And Apple put up two years ago, during the conference, billboards all over Las Vegas saying "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone," in a clear indication of the company's commitment to protect the privacy of its users.

And Apple recently ran advertisements of new privacy initiatives on one of its YouTube channels.

The new privacy announcements focus on Face ID privacy as well as purchases on Apple Pay, while Apple has also shared a new video highlighting the iPhone's sustainability initiatives.

The ads show the importance of privacy in Apple's platform, with the first ad centering around encrypting and protecting the faceprint data on your iPhone.

The second announcement reminds Apple Pay users of the privacy and security benefits with every purchase.

Responding to the Facebook attack

Facebook launched a public relations campaign against Apple to anticipate new changes to data privacy in iPhones, which would make it difficult for advertisers to track users and threaten Facebook's profits.

Facebook held a press conference to explore small companies opposed to change, and published a new tag to discuss it, in addition to advertisements in several newspapers criticizing the move.

In ads that appeared in the "Wall Street Journal," "The New York Times", and "The Washington Post", Facebook criticized Apple for granting users permission soon for applications to track them online, and Facebook said that this step could be "devastating" for millions of small businesses. Which advertise on its platform.

These ads coincide with a new section on Facebook for Business called SpeakUpforSmall, where Facebook urges small business owners to share their story and give them a "place to express their opinions."

It also encourages small business owners to talk about what the ads for them and their fate mean without it.

Timing of the announcement

Today's announcement could be related to one or all of the previous elements, but it is likely to be directed against Facebook and the reason is timing.

Although the interview was scheduled in advance, that is, before the Capitol events, which means that it may also take place before WhatsApp announces the new privacy policy, the timing factor cannot be overlooked, even if it was a coincidence.

This moment and this step from Facebook are what Apple was waiting for, to deal a fatal blow to Facebook and to demonstrate to users that its privacy policy and ads that contradict Facebook and Google are the best for them.

After the controversy raised by the new privacy policy for the WhatsApp application, which requires the consent of users to link their accounts on the platforms WhatsApp and Facebook and the threat to cancel the accounts of users who reject this process, Apple will find listening ears by users and ready to adopt Apple's privacy thought.

These analyzes will be tested within hours when CBS starts this morning, and until then everything will remain valid.