Apple has been under investigation by authorities in France for nearly two years over App Tracking Transparency, a privacy feature that lets iPhone users decide whether their activity can be tracked by advertisers or not.You’ve likely seen many of the ‘Ask App Not to Track’ pop-ups.Now, per a new report, the case is about to wrap up and looks set to end unfavorably for Apple.
App Tracking Transparency may soon be forbidden by French authorities A two-year investigation into Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature in France is expected to conclude in the next month.And the outcome doesn’t look great for Apple.Foo Yun Chee writes at : So there are two main actions expected as the case concludes: Apple will be forced to disable the feature for French users The company may receive a fine too As we reported when this investigation first started in 2023: “Apple is accused of abusing its dominant position by implementing discriminatory, non-objective and non-transparent conditions for the use of user data for advertising purposes.” Apple provided the following statement to during another ATT dust-up: Outside of France, Apple is also facing App Tracking Transparency investigations in Germany and Italy.
For the most part though, concerns aren’t focused on the feature overall, but rather how it applies to Apple’s own apps.In the US, the main pushback has come from a variety of companies— most notably Meta—rather than regulators.The feature has been blamed for negatively impacting advertising revenue.
What do you think of these concerns against App Tracking Transparency? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessories Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone HomeKit smart plug 4-pack AirPods Pro 2 (now only $199, down from $249) 10-year AirTag battery case 2-pack You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
