Apple modifies EU app Tracking consent after antitrust probe
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Germany’s federal competition regulator and other authorities secured an agreement from Apple to change how apps request permission to track users across apps and websites within the European Union.
Regulators determined Apple’s App Tracking Transparency system, or ATT, gave Apple an unfair advantage because its own apps didn’t require the same consent screens as third-party apps. Apple will now let developers in the EU use alternative consent screens with modified language, formatting, and links to more information about data usage.
These changes include displaying consent requests as full-page screens instead of pop-ups, removing the word “track,” and changing button options to “Allow” and “Reject.” Apple will also allow developers to re-prompt EU users for consent one year after their initial choice. The company maintains that these consent screens protect user privacy, despite allowing its own apps to use data for personalized advertising without similar prompts. The modified consent system will initially be available in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania.
This change follows a multi-year antitrust investigation into Apple’s practices and aims to level the playing field for app developers who rely on ad revenue.
