France's competition watchdog has fined Apple €150 million after examining its approach to collecting user data and pressuring its advertising business, Bloomberg reports.
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The essence of the claims
According to the French Competition Authority, Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) mechanism contravenes European data protection rules (GDPR) by forcing app developers to overload users with excessive pop-up messages, making it difficult to interact with the apps. The regulator found the way ATT is implemented “excessive” and in violation of antitrust rules, although it did not call the idea of the system itself problematic.
Reaction of the parties
Apple expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, emphasizing that the regulator did not specify specific changes that should be made to ATT. The company assured that the system only strengthens users' control over privacy through simple and transparent prompts. And the plaintiffs – an association of advertising associations – insist on the immediate suspension of ATT and its reworking, because the changes introduced back in 2021 exploded their revenues.
Context and Prospects
The case was sparked by a complaint from advertisers who say Apple holds itself to more lenient standards than outsiders. The French probe is part of a wider wave of probes, with similar cases underway in Germany, Poland, Italy and Romania, that could increase pressure on the tech giant.