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France fines Apple 150 million euros over privacy feature
Paris (AFP) – French antitrust authorities handed Apple a 150-million-euro ($162-million) fine on Monday over its app tracking privacy feature, which is also under scrutiny in several other European countries.
Issued on: 31/03/2025
Apple's privacy feature requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites © JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
The watchdog said the way Apple implemented its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) software was "neither necessary nor proportionate to the company's stated goal to protect user data" and also penalised third-party publishers.
In addition to the fine, Apple will have to publish the decision on its website for seven days.
Authorities in Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland have opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard.
"While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT," Apple said in a statement.
The feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites.
If they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad targeting.
Critics have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors.
'More control over privacy'
In its decision, France's Competition Authority said the ATT feature leads to an excessive number of consent windows for third-party apps on iPhones and iPads, making the experience more cumbersome.
It also found that Apple's system required users to opt out of ad tracking twice rather than once, "undermining the neutrality of the feature" and causing economic harm to app publishers and ad service providers.
The authority added that Apple's approach disproportionately affects smaller publishers, who rely heavily on third-party data collection to fund their businesses.
Following complaints from advertising industry players who claimed ATT hindered their ability to target users, France's competition watchdog initially declined to impose emergency measures in 2021 but continued its investigation.
Apple said on Monday that ATT "gives users more control of their privacy through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking".
"That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world," it said.
© 2025 AFP
The watchdog said the way Apple implemented its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) software was "neither necessary nor proportionate to the company's stated goal to protect user data" and also penalised third-party publishers.
In addition to the fine, Apple will have to publish the decision on its website for seven days.
Authorities in Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland have opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard.
"While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT," Apple said in a statement.
The feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites.
If they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad targeting.
Critics have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors.
'More control over privacy'
In its decision, France's Competition Authority said the ATT feature leads to an excessive number of consent windows for third-party apps on iPhones and iPads, making the experience more cumbersome.
It also found that Apple's system required users to opt out of ad tracking twice rather than once, "undermining the neutrality of the feature" and causing economic harm to app publishers and ad service providers.
The authority added that Apple's approach disproportionately affects smaller publishers, who rely heavily on third-party data collection to fund their businesses.
Following complaints from advertising industry players who claimed ATT hindered their ability to target users, France's competition watchdog initially declined to impose emergency measures in 2021 but continued its investigation.
Apple said on Monday that ATT "gives users more control of their privacy through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking".
"That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world," it said.
© 2025 AFP
Apple heavily condemned in France for its ad targeting system
Paris (AFP) - Apple was fined €150 million by the French Competition Authority on Monday for abuse of a dominant position in the context of targeted advertising on its devices, as similar investigations target the company in other European countries.
Published: 31/03/2025 -
"Important victory"
"This decision marks an important victory for the 9,000 companies in the media and online advertising ecosystem," several players in the sector, including Alliance Digitale, the Syndicat des Régies Internet and the Union of Media Consulting and Buying Companies, said in a joint statement.
They had referred the matter to the French competition watchdog in 2020 to denounce an obstacle to their targeting capacity, which had initially rejected a request for interim measures in 2021 but had continued the investigation on the merits.
This decision should be observed in Germany, where Apple has been in the crosshairs since June 2022.
The American firm suffered a legal setback in mid-March after the courts confirmed that it had been placed under enhanced surveillance, leaving the group under the threat of measures to regulate its activity.
The competition authorities of Italy, Romania and Poland have also launched similar investigations.
For its part, the European Union reaffirmed in February that it would strongly defend its legislation on digital services targeting American tech giants.
And this, even in the event of retaliatory measures from Washington: President Trump has indicated that he will consider customs duties in response to the "taxes, fines and regulatory constraints on digital services" that would apply to American companies in the EU, and in particular the "tech" giants.
© 2025 AFP
Paris (AFP) - Apple was fined €150 million by the French Competition Authority on Monday for abuse of a dominant position in the context of targeted advertising on its devices, as similar investigations target the company in other European countries.
Published: 31/03/2025 -
Apple was fined €150 million by the French Competition Authority on Monday for abuse of a dominant position in the context of advertising targeting on its devices © Philippe HUGUEN / AFP/Archives
The American giant has been sanctioned for the use of its ATT ("App Tracking Transparency") device, presented as an additional protection of users' private data.
The "implementation methods (of this system) are neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated objective of data protection", which penalises third-party publishers, the body stressed on Monday at a press conference.
"While we are disappointed by today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required specific changes to App Tracking Transparency (ATT)," Apple said in a statement.
The French antitrust authority has indicated that it is up to the American company to comply.
This amount of 150 million euros "seemed appropriate" and "reasonable" to us, explained Benoît Coeuré, the president of the French competition watchdog, which he said represents "a fairly modest sum when you take into account Apple's turnover", which is close to $400 billion in 2024.
Apple will also have to publish a summary of the decision on its website for seven days.
Small publishers penalised
To justify its decision, the Competition Authority notes that this device "leads to a multiplication of consent collection windows, excessively complicating the journey of users of third-party applications" on iPhones and iPads.
In addition, the fact that the user has to refuse advertising tracking on third-party applications twice, instead of once, "undermines the neutrality of the system, causing a certain economic damage to application publishers and advertising service providers".
The regulator believes that the system as it is implemented by Apple "penalizes in particular the smallest publishers" who "depend largely on the collection of third-party data to finance their activity".
Introduced by the American giant in early 2021, the ATT system opens a consent window for the opening of each application.
If a user clicks "no," the app loses access to that person's advertising ID, a unique number that allows them to be tracked online.
This device was suspected of favoring Apple's own services to the detriment of third-party applications.
The American giant has been sanctioned for the use of its ATT ("App Tracking Transparency") device, presented as an additional protection of users' private data.
The "implementation methods (of this system) are neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated objective of data protection", which penalises third-party publishers, the body stressed on Monday at a press conference.
"While we are disappointed by today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required specific changes to App Tracking Transparency (ATT)," Apple said in a statement.
The French antitrust authority has indicated that it is up to the American company to comply.
This amount of 150 million euros "seemed appropriate" and "reasonable" to us, explained Benoît Coeuré, the president of the French competition watchdog, which he said represents "a fairly modest sum when you take into account Apple's turnover", which is close to $400 billion in 2024.
Apple will also have to publish a summary of the decision on its website for seven days.
Small publishers penalised
To justify its decision, the Competition Authority notes that this device "leads to a multiplication of consent collection windows, excessively complicating the journey of users of third-party applications" on iPhones and iPads.
In addition, the fact that the user has to refuse advertising tracking on third-party applications twice, instead of once, "undermines the neutrality of the system, causing a certain economic damage to application publishers and advertising service providers".
The regulator believes that the system as it is implemented by Apple "penalizes in particular the smallest publishers" who "depend largely on the collection of third-party data to finance their activity".
Introduced by the American giant in early 2021, the ATT system opens a consent window for the opening of each application.
If a user clicks "no," the app loses access to that person's advertising ID, a unique number that allows them to be tracked online.
This device was suspected of favoring Apple's own services to the detriment of third-party applications.
"Important victory"
"This decision marks an important victory for the 9,000 companies in the media and online advertising ecosystem," several players in the sector, including Alliance Digitale, the Syndicat des Régies Internet and the Union of Media Consulting and Buying Companies, said in a joint statement.
They had referred the matter to the French competition watchdog in 2020 to denounce an obstacle to their targeting capacity, which had initially rejected a request for interim measures in 2021 but had continued the investigation on the merits.
This decision should be observed in Germany, where Apple has been in the crosshairs since June 2022.
The American firm suffered a legal setback in mid-March after the courts confirmed that it had been placed under enhanced surveillance, leaving the group under the threat of measures to regulate its activity.
The competition authorities of Italy, Romania and Poland have also launched similar investigations.
For its part, the European Union reaffirmed in February that it would strongly defend its legislation on digital services targeting American tech giants.
And this, even in the event of retaliatory measures from Washington: President Trump has indicated that he will consider customs duties in response to the "taxes, fines and regulatory constraints on digital services" that would apply to American companies in the EU, and in particular the "tech" giants.
© 2025 AFP
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