Apple To Change Third-Party App Data Consent Prompts Under EU Commitments

Apple will change how third-party apps ask users for permission to access personal data for targeted advertising on iPhones and iPads, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) said on Monday.

The regulator concluded that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework gave Apple’s own apps more favourable consent prompts than those available to third-party developers, raising competition concerns. Apple has four months after receiving the decision to implement the changes, which will remain in place for seven years. Under the commitments, consent prompts for third-party apps must use neutral language and design and cannot include wording or symbols that discourage users from granting permission.

Apple agreed to modify the text and formatting while continuing to offer ATT in Europe. The changes will apply across most European Union countries.

The decision follows regulatory action in France and Italy, where Apple was fined 150 million euros and 98.6 million euros, respectively, over its ATT framework.

Third-party developers, including Meta Platforms, use user data to support targeted advertising.