France Fines Apple 150m Over Controversial Privacy Feature

Emmanuel Kwada

In a landmark ruling, French antitrust authorities have fined tech giant Apple €150 million ($162 million) for its implementation of the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, a privacy tool the company has long touted as a cornerstone of its commitment to user data protection.

An Apple Inc. store in Paris.Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg

The decision, announced on Monday, marks a significant escalation in Europe’s ongoing scrutiny of Apple’s practices, with the company now ordered to publish the ruling prominently on its website for seven days.

The French Competition Authority’s decision centers on Apple’s ATT framework, introduced in 2021, which requires apps to request user permission via a pop-up window before tracking their activity across third-party apps and websites.

French watchdog declared that Apple’s execution of ATT was “neither necessary nor proportionate” to its stated goal of safeguarding user data

Users who decline consent block apps from accessing their advertising identifier—a critical tool for delivering targeted ads. While Apple has marketed ATT as a privacy-forward innovation, critics, including advertising industry players, argue it gives the iPhone maker an unfair advantage in the digital ad market while stifling competitors.

In its scathing assessment, the French watchdog declared that Apple’s execution of ATT was “neither necessary nor proportionate” to its stated goal of safeguarding user data.

The authority pointed to several flaws which includes the feature inundates users with excessive consent prompts when using third-party apps, while Apple’s own services appear to sidestep similar hurdles.

Apple’s approach distorts competition

Additionally, the system requires users to opt out of tracking twice—once for third-party apps and again for Apple’s own ad personalization—creating what regulators called an “unduly cumbersome” process that undermines neutrality.

“Apple’s approach distorts competition,” said a spokesperson for the Competition Authority. “By imposing stricter rules on third-party developers than on itself, Apple disadvantages smaller publishers and ad services providers who depend on targeted advertising to survive.”

Apple logo. Credit: Reuters

The ruling is a blow to Apple’s carefully cultivated image as a privacy champion, coming amid a broader wave of regulatory pressure across Europe.

Authorities in Germany, Italy, Romania, and Poland have launched parallel investigations into ATT, signaling that the French fine could be a harbinger of further penalties.

Critics have long accused Apple of leveraging ATT to bolster its own advertising ecosystem—such as its growing Apple Search Ads platform—while kneecapping rivals like Meta and smaller app developers who rely on third-party data.

We believe your data belongs to you

The decision follows years of tension between Apple and the advertising industry. In 2021, French regulators declined to impose emergency measures after initial complaints from ad tech firms but opted to pursue a deeper probe.

That investigation culminated in Monday’s ruling, which Apple has yet to publicly address. The company’s last official statement on the matter came on February 24, 2025, when it defended ATT as a “user-first” initiative during a press briefing.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook, speaking at the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2024, had previously emphasized privacy as a core value. “We believe your data belongs to you,” Cook said, a mantra now under fire as regulators argue the company’s policies prioritize profit over fairness.

The €150 million fine, while significant, is unlikely to dent Apple’s finances—the company reported $94.9 billion in revenue for its most recent quarter alone. However, the reputational damage and the precedent set by the ruling could have far-reaching implications.

~AFP

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