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German Antitrust Watchdog Tests Apple’s Proposed Changes to App Tracking Transparency

The review weighs whether neutral prompts and a simpler consent flow resolve competition concerns as ad attribution without prior consent remains unchanged.

An Apple logo appears in this illustration taken August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Overview

  • Germany’s Bundeskartellamt launched a market test of Apple’s revisions, gathering feedback from publishers, media groups and regulators before a final decision.
  • Apple agreed to introduce neutral, aligned consent prompts for its own services and third‑party apps and to streamline how developers request permission for ad‑related data processing.
  • The authority flagged that Apple plans to keep measuring ad performance (attribution) without prior user consent and said it remains critical of potential disadvantages for rivals.
  • Federal and Bavarian data protection authorities are participating in the assessment, which proceeds under Germany’s Section 19a and EU Article 102 in coordination with the European Commission.
  • Context includes a preliminary German finding in February that Apple abused market power and a €150 million French fine in March, while Apple has cautioned it could withdraw ATT from the EU if required changes undermine privacy.