Apple will change its app tracking consent rules in Europe after Germany’s competition authority found its framework could disadvantage third-party developers and affect competition in digital advertising.
Apple is set to modify the way its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework handles consent requests for app users following an investigation by Germany's competition authority.
The Federal Cartel Office concluded that Apple's existing system could give the company's own applications more favourable treatment than third-party apps when asking users for permission to track their activity.
The authority's decision brings a long-running investigation to a close while requiring Apple to make changes to its consent process.
The German Federal Cartel Office examined Apple's ATT framework as part of its competition investigation.
The regulator found that consent prompts shown by Apple's own applications could be more favourable than those presented by third-party developers. According to the authority, this difference could potentially disadvantage competing app publishers and raise concerns under competition law.
The decision requires Apple to adjust how third-party applications request tracking permission from users.
Apple has been given four months to implement the required changes once the decision is formally served. The commitments will remain in effect for seven years, with an independent trustee expected to monitor Apple's compliance during that period.
The extended monitoring period is intended to ensure that the revised consent system continues to provide fair treatment to third-party developers.
One of the main changes involves the design and wording of consent pop-ups shown to users. Under the commitments, third-party apps will need to use consent requests that are more visually and linguistically neutral.
Discouraging language and symbols that could influence users against granting permission will have to be removed. The changes are intended to ensure that users receive consent requests without design elements that could unfairly affect their decision.
The new commitments will also give third-party developers greater flexibility when requesting user consent. App publishers will be allowed to combine Apple's required tracking permission request with their own separate data-protection consent prompts.
This could make it easier for developers to explain their data practices to users while complying with Apple's requirements.
The change is particularly important for developers that rely on advertising revenue and need access to accurate user data for personalised advertising.
Apple has said that the changes will apply in almost all European Union countries.
The company also confirmed that it had modified the wording and design of its consent prompt following requests from the German competition authority.
The changes could therefore affect a broad range of developers and users across the European market rather than being limited solely to Germany.
Apple introduced its App Tracking Transparency framework to give users greater control over whether applications can track their activity across other apps and websites.
Under the system, apps generally need to request permission before accessing certain tracking information.
The framework has significantly changed the digital advertising ecosystem, particularly for companies that depend on personalised advertising.
While Apple has presented ATT as a privacy-focused measure, some developers and advertising businesses have argued that the system can make it more difficult to measure campaigns and deliver targeted advertisements.
Third-party developers and advertising companies have a strong interest in how Apple's consent system operates.
Companies such as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, rely heavily on advertising and seek accurate information about users to improve targeted campaigns.
Personalised advertising can generate more value for advertisers than broad campaigns because advertisements can be directed towards specific audiences.
Changes to Apple's consent system could therefore have implications for how developers and advertising businesses collect and use data on iPhones and iPads.
Germany is not the only European country to take action over Apple's ATT framework.
Regulators in France and Italy have previously imposed significant fines related to the system. France reportedly fined Apple €150 million, while Italy imposed a penalty of approximately €98.6 million.
The regulatory attention highlights the growing scrutiny faced by major technology companies over privacy practices and their potential impact on competition.
For users, the changes are expected to make tracking consent requests from third-party apps more neutral.
Instead of using wording or visual elements that could discourage users from granting permission, consent prompts will need to present the choice in a more balanced way.
Users will still have control over whether they allow applications to track their activity, while developers will receive greater flexibility in how they communicate their privacy practices.
Third-party developers could benefit from a more balanced consent process.
Greater flexibility in presenting privacy information may allow developers to better explain why they require certain permissions and how user data will be used.
However, developers will still need to comply with Apple's privacy requirements and applicable European data-protection regulations.
The seven-year commitment period also means the changes could influence app developers and advertisers for years to come.
Conclusion
Apple is set to revise its App Tracking Transparency consent rules following Germany's competition investigation.
The Federal Cartel Office found that Apple's own apps could receive more favourable treatment than third-party applications, raising concerns about competition.
With Apple required to implement changes within four months and maintain the commitments for seven years, the decision could reshape how tracking consent is presented across much of Europe.
The move also highlights the continuing tension between user privacy, digital advertising and competition as European regulators increase scrutiny of major technology platforms.