France’s competition regulator fined Apple €150 million, saying the iPhone maker went overboard in its implementation of pop-up messages that let users consent to or reject tracking that third-party applications use for targeted advertising.
The App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework used by Apple on iPhones and iPads since 2021 makes the use of third-party applications too complex and hurts small companies that rely on advertising revenue, said a press release today by the Autorité de la concurrence (Competition Authority). The system harms “smaller publishers in particular since, unlike the main vertically integrated platforms, they depend to a large extent on third-party data collection to finance their business,” the agency said.
User consent obtained via the ATA framework “authorizes the application in question to collect user data for targeted advertising purposes,” the agency said. “If consent is given, the application can access the Identifier for Advertisers (‘IDFA’), the identifier by which each device can be tracked through its use of third-party applications and sites.” The French investigation was triggered by a complaint lodged by advertising industry associations.
Source : https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/france-fines-apple-e150m-for-excessive-pop-ups-that-let-users-reject-tracking/
