Apple’s relationship with the European Union continues to deteriorate, and recent developments have made matters worse for the tech giant. Just last month, it was reported that Apple was facing potential antitrust penalties in France, primarily due to its privacy controls. Now, the situation has escalated, with French regulators officially imposing a €150 million fine on Apple, equivalent to approximately $162 million. This decision comes in response to allegations that Apple has abused its dominance in mobile app advertising via its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.
Many users may recognize ATT as the option that appears when they tap “Ask App Not to Track” on their iPhones. The scrutiny over this feature has persisted for nearly two years in France, culminating in this ruling—the first of its kind against Apple regarding ATT. Despite apprehensions that this might provoke retaliation from U.S. authorities, particularly from the Trump administration, the head of the French Competition Authority, Benoit Coeure, has expressed confidence in the enforcement of antitrust laws, noting that both the U.S. and Europe are aligned in their approach to regulating large digital platforms. In response to the ruling, Apple expressed disappointment but emphasized that no specific changes to its ATT feature were mandated by the French regulators.
The verdict was anticipated, yet it raises questions about the future of ATT, especially given Europe’s stringent privacy regulations. Interestingly, the EU has previously supported the introduction of ATT, leaving ambiguity over what adjustments Apple may need to implement to ensure compliance. Stakeholders are hopeful that this decision will not result in the weakening or removal of the privacy feature for iPhone users in France or across Europe.