Apple says new privacy notifications to roll out in "early spring"

FILE PHOTO: A man stands in front of a wall of iPhones cases in the new Apple flagship store on its opening day in Sanlitun in Beijing, China, July 17, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Thursday that new privacy pop-up notifications will start appearing on most iPhones as soon as "early spring," a requirement that major digital advertising firms such as Facebook Inc have warned will harm their businesses.

The one-time notices will require an app developer to ask a user's permission before the app tracks their activities "across other companies' apps and websites." Digital advertising experts believe that the warning will cause many users to decline permission.