Attorneys general are accusing Google and Facebook of teaming up to thwart Apple’s efforts to protect user privacy.

If there was ever any doubt about which companies abuse user privacy, attorneys general from 12 states are putting that issue to rest, accusing Facebook and Google of trying to subvert Apple’s privacy protections. Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency as part of iOS/iPadOS 14.5. The new feature is designed to make it harder for advertisers to track users.

According to Business Insider, Google and Facebook agreed to work together to thwart Apple’s efforts, and continue tracking users, and then work together if their pact should come under scrutiny.

“The companies have been working together to improve Facebook’s ability to recognize users using browsers with blocked cookies, on Apple devices, and on Apple’s Safari Browser,” the complaint states. “Thereby circumventing one Big Tech company’s efforts to compete by offering users better privacy.”

The complaint accuses Facebook of being more culpable, baiting Google into helping it.

Despite recent missteps, Apple still has a well-earned reputation for trying to protect privacy, including against its Big Tech competitors. The latest accusations by the 12 attorneys general are merely the latest evidence of what many users have long-known: Google and (especially) Facebook give token service to privacy while profiting off of every scrap of data they can collect about their users.