Apple has been fined €150 million by France's Competition Authority over its App Tracking Transparency feature, which was found to unfairly harm third-party publishers. The ruling claims that Apple's implementation of ATT is overly complicated and harms smaller app publishers, sparking ongoing investigations in multiple European countries.
Apple has been fined €150 million ($162 million) by the French Competition Authority due to its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which has sparked controversy in several European countries. Launched in 2021, ATT requires apps to request explicit user consent for tracking activity across other apps and websites. If users decline, the app loses access to advertising identifiers, limiting targeted advertising. The French regulator ruled that Apple’s implementation of ATT was not necessary or proportional to its stated goal of enhancing user privacy and unfairly impacted third-party publishers.
The ruling further claims that the system complicates the consent process for third-party apps on Apple devices, with users being required to opt out of tracking twice. This was deemed as undermining the neutrality of the feature and causing harm to smaller app publishers who depend on third-party data for revenue.
Along with the fine, Apple is mandated to publish the decision on its website for seven days. This decision follows ongoing investigations in Germany, Italy, Romania, and Poland into the potential anti-competitive effects of ATT. Critics argue that while ATT benefits Apple’s advertising services, it restricts competitors. Despite initially declining emergency measures in 2021, the French watchdog pursued its investigation, resulting in this decision.
