Apple Hit With $162 Million Fine Over App Tracking Transparency

Apple has been fined €150 million ($162 million) by France's Competition Authority over the implementation of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework (via Bloomberg).

generic tracking prompt orange
The French regulator concluded that the way Apple deployed its ATT feature constitutes an abuse of market dominance, finding that the system unnecessarily complicated the process for users to opt out of tracking and unfairly disadvantaged third-party developers and advertising providers. Introduced in 2021 with iOS 14.5, the ATT framework requires apps to request user consent via a pop-up before tracking activity across other apps and websites. If users decline, the app is denied access to the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), which is typically used for delivering personalized ads.

The regulator emphasized that while the ATT framework itself is not inherently anticompetitive, its implementation by Apple resulted in a lack of neutrality. In its published decision, the authority said that the system was "neither necessary nor proportionate to the company's stated goal to protect user data" and added that the method Apple used to prompt consent introduced unnecessary friction for third-party developers. Apple's own advertising services are integrated directly into iOS and were not subject to the same user journey, raising concerns that Apple had leveraged its platform control to favor its own interests.

The decision also cited the economic consequences for app publishers and advertising providers. Since many developers of free, ad-supported apps depend on targeted advertising for revenue, the enforcement of ATT in its current form was determined to have caused financial harm, particularly to smaller publishers with limited access to first-party data.

The investigation was launched in 2021 following a complaint lodged by a coalition of French advertising trade associations, including Alliance Digitale and the Internet Advertising Syndicate. Though the Competition Authority initially declined to impose emergency interim measures that year, it proceeded with a full probe into ATT's competitive effects. The final ruling compels Apple to pay the €150 million fine and to publicly publish the decision on its website for a duration of seven days.

In a statement, Apple defended its actions and reiterated its commitment to user privacy:

App Tracking Transparency gives users more control of their privacy through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking. That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world.

Apple also noted that the French authority has not mandated any specific changes to the ATT system, instead placing the onus on the company to ensure its compliance with competition law. Apple expressed disappointment with the decision but did not indicate whether it would appeal the fine.

The ruling adds to a growing list of investigations into Apple's ATT framework across Europe. Authorities in Germany, Italy, Romania, and Poland have opened similar probes to examine whether the privacy feature violates competition rules by impeding access to essential data for advertising while reinforcing Apple's own position in the digital ad market.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

jdawgnoonan Avatar
1 day ago at 07:31 am

Maybe Apple is the problem as opposed to everyone else around the world who tries to hold them to account?
Apple is the problem because they allow users to choose which apps are allowed to track them? Seriously?
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
1 day ago at 07:24 am
That's why I h*** advertisers.

But also, France's Competition Authority are morons.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iObama Avatar
1 day ago at 07:31 am
I've supported pretty much every European regulation that's been applied to Apple as of late, but this one's some bullpucky.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdawgnoonan Avatar
1 day ago at 07:28 am
Here we go again, Apple being punished in European countries for offering positive features to users. I once again hear the stern and condescending politician lecturing the world about how the technologies we use should work.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejoshuabradshaw Avatar
1 day ago at 07:34 am
Time to pull the plug on this asinine EU policies. Make it US only and folks can either buy from US or pound sand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
1 day ago at 07:41 am

this is why europe's tech sector is virtually nonexistent
An entire industry (basically 99.995% of silicon valley) running off shady, dishonest and hidden tactics is not something to envy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)