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Apple Fined €150 Million by France Over App Tracking Transparency Tool

The French competition regulator found Apple's ATT framework unfairly harmed smaller publishers and advertisers while favoring its own ecosystem.

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)(
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Overview

  • The €150 million fine marks the first antitrust penalty specifically targeting Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool.
  • The French regulator stated that ATT's implementation was neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated goal of protecting user privacy.
  • Smaller publishers reliant on third-party data were particularly disadvantaged by the ATT framework, according to the watchdog.
  • Apple expressed disappointment with the decision but noted that no changes to the ATT tool were mandated by the regulator.
  • Apple has also faced scrutiny over ATT from Germany's antitrust agency, which accused the company of giving itself preferential treatment.