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3w ago

Apple Fined €150 Million by France Over App Tracking Tool's Competitive Impact

The French Competition Authority ruled that Apple's App Tracking Transparency tool unfairly harmed smaller publishers and advertisers while failing to meet its stated privacy goals.

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An illustration of an iPhone held up in front of the Apple Inc. logo taken of January 30, 2015 in Lille. Apple was fined �150 million on March 31, 2025 for abuse of a dominant position in the targeting of advertising on its devices, announced the French Competition Authority, while similar investigations are targeting the company in other European countries.
Apple's privacy feature requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites
FILE - The Apple logo is illuminated at a store in Munich, Germany, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)(

Overview

  • The French Competition Authority imposed a €150 million fine on Apple for abusing its market dominance through its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool.
  • The ATT tool, introduced in 2021, requires user consent for app tracking but was deemed by regulators as neither necessary nor proportionate to its privacy objectives.
  • The ruling highlighted that smaller publishers and advertisers, who rely on third-party data, were disproportionately harmed by the tool's implementation.
  • Apple is not required to make immediate changes to the ATT tool but must publish the decision on its website for seven days.
  • Similar investigations into Apple's ATT tool are ongoing in Germany, Italy, Romania, and Poland, signaling continued regulatory scrutiny across Europe.