San Francisco, Dec 18 (IANS): Apple CEO Tim Cook has hit back at Facebook after the social media giant criticised the iPhone maker saying that the upcoming privacy changes to iOS 14 will hurt small businesses that depend on targeted ads.

Cook said that the privacy changes in iOS 14 will continue to allow Facebook to track users across apps and websites as before if the social media company gets that permission of the users.

"We believe users should have the choice over the data that is being collected about them and how it's used," Cook said in a tweet on Thursday night.

"Facebook can continue to track users across apps and websites as before, App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 will just require that they ask for your permission first," he added.

According to an image posted by Cook, iPhone users will have the option to either allow or disallow Facebook to track their activity across other companies' apps and websites.

The Apple CEO's strong rebuttal came after Facebook published newspaper advertisements criticising the upcoming privacy changes in iOS.

In one of such ads, Facebook claimed that these changes "will change the internet as we know it".

The Facebook ad said that Apple privacy policies will force websites and blogs "to start charging you subscription fees" or add in-app purchases due to a lack of personalised ads, reported The Verge.

With full-page ads in leading US publications, Facebook is apparently trying to convince regulators to look at Apple's privacy changes.

Earlier, Apple hit back at Facebook, saying that the tech giant stands up for its users.

Apple had earlier postponed the full enforcement of privacy practices in iOS 14 until next year after Facebook went out in public against those changes.