Apple Warns App Tracking Transparency Could Be Disabled in Europe

[MacRumors]

Apple said today that it might be "forced" to disable a key anti-ad tracking feature in the European Union, reports DPA International.

"Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said in a statement to DPA.

Apple is referring to App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a feature that lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely.

The anti-tracking features were implemented in Apple's iOS 14 updates. ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV without express permission, so apps can't track what users do on their devices and then use the information gleaned for ad targeting.

ATT has been unsurprisingly unpopular with advertisers and data brokers. Facebook rallied hard against App Tracking Transparency ahead of when it rolled out, positioning Apple as an enemy of small businesses and taking out multiple full-page newspaper ads.

Germany launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency back in 2022, and in February 2025, Germany's Federal Cartel Office preliminarily ruled that Apple abused its market power with ATT, giving itself preferential treatment, even though Apple says it does not collect data from third-party apps. The cartel said that Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for app publishers to access user data relevant for advertising.

In March 2025, Apple was fined 150 million euros by France's Competition Authority. French regulators said that Apple complicated the process for users to opt out of tracking and unfairly disadvantaged third-party developers and ad providers. Apple is facing a similar investigation in Italy, with a ruling expected later this year.

Apple said that it has presented solutions to regulators in Europe, but it is facing complex solutions that would undermine App Tracking Transparency. Apple also said it will work to keep the feature available to Europeans. "We will continue to urge the relevant authorities in Germany, Italy and across Europe to allow Apple to continue providing this important privacy tool to our users."

Article Link: Apple Warns App Tracking Transparency Could Be Disabled in Europe

 

[RedZephon]

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

You did some good EU but enough is enough now.

 

[jsavvy]

This is quite ridiculous. Shouldn’t it be up to the user of the apps to decide if they wish to be tracked across apps?

 

[Makosuke]

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

You did some good EU but enough is enough now.

Sadly this really seems to be the case.

Some of what the EU has been doing in terms of their draconian competitive requirements are at least arguably good for consumers, but this is so flagrantly awful for actual consumers, actual privacy, and benefits no one but data-hoarding, privacy-invading bad-actors that it is absolutely unforgivable and nothing but pure villainy.

 

[Viridian5]

So ad brokers have a legal right to operate without oversight from the consumer? Seems shady

 

[EU-Regulations]

If the EU supports Facebook at undermining Apple User Privacy & Terms of Use, Ursula gets one serious spanking.

 

[Rychiar]

Does anyone find this effective anyways? I've opted out of everything and I get targeted adds in all my apps. all my social accounts know the second I look at something on google or amazon... or talk about or occasionally think of something 😂 .

 

[ps3zocker]

I'm annoyed with the DMA stuff leaving things like iPhone Mirroring unavailable in the EU but I understand what the EU is trying to do there. This though, just no.

 

[platinumaqua]

Apple should instead make changes to stop tracking its users. (looking at you, tracking identifiers in Maps, TV, Books, and Music)

 

[contacos]

Lobbying always wins unfortunately. First they came for our Vegan Schnitzel ...

 

[jdmachogg]

So ad brokers have a legal right to operate without oversight from the consumer? Seems shady

That is not the issue. The issue is that Apple is the only advertiser that is allowed access by default.


I don't really agree with the EU here, but I understand where they are coming from. You can relate it to Google - they have the power to populate the search with their own options, and Apple has given themselves that power.

I'm guessing what the EU wants is something similar that allows the user to choose their own data sucking villain (ad provider), so that Apple doesn't become the only ad provider on peoples devices (like Google has through Chrome).

 

[Anonymous123]

ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV without express permission

How about an option to disable this advertising identifier altogether?

 

[bsolar]

This is quite ridiculous. Shouldn’t it be up to the user of the apps to decide if they wish to be tracked across apps?

From what I understand the issue is not the user being able to block tracking across apps, but that the same limitations apparently don't apply to Apple's own apps and services in the same measure.

 

[Boeingfan]

Apple should instead make changes to stop tracking its users. (looking at you, tracking identifiers in Maps, TV, Books, and Music)

And yet you choose to use an Apple device. I think there is a clear determination people make when they choose between Apple or android, one of the factors being ‘who do I trust more with my data?’ My personal response to that is nobody but Apple.

 

[kolebee]

This is part of Apple’s public campaign to erode confidence in EU regulations.

Apple would very much like to operate unregulated and untaxed in the EU, but even with large fines, it is still massively profitable for Apple to continue to do business there. Frequent fines to US tech companies have functionally become a tax that is just a cost of doing business.

But Apple’s current strategy is pivoting to often bad-faith legal arguments that postpone fines for violating the EU’s (admittedly messy) laws, loudly removing user features they make available in the rest of the world, and claiming that EU competition and privacy regulations are to blame in an attempt to convince the public that regulation is bad.

The fact of the matter is that requiring actions like allowing easy side loading of apps and lowering App Store fees will cost Apple more profit than even the huge fines they’re currently racking up.

 

[mikebenton]

Seems like every feature released by Apple becomes another payday for some European government. $150m Euros? Really? I’m sure that money totally went to the French people. Apple has to be the biggest cash-cow in Europe! I mean, it can’t just be a lawsuit to change the way something works. It always has to involve ridiculous amounts of money.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I love that, instead of no longer tracking their EU users or including themselves in ATT, Apple is just declaring open season instead. Absolutely hilarious.

They're doing a great job of showing us who they really are.

 

[kalsta]

Does anyone find this effective anyways? I've opted out of everything and I get targeted adds in all my apps. all my social accounts know the second I look at something on google or amazon... or talk about or occasionally think of something 😂

It’s just one tool in the toolbox, but the ad companies will continue to claw for your data. Are you generally logged into your accounts with Google, Facebook, etc? That makes it super easy for them.

 

[garretmh]

Guys, ATT is a great feature and it’s totally anti-competitive for Apple exempt their own apps that directly compete with third party apps that are restricted by it.

I don’t want Apple targeting me either, and I don’t want them using ATT as a club to defend their monopoly on it.

 

[needsomecoffee]

Not quite sure... but my reading is that the EU and Germany decided that Apple has unfairly put third-party advertisers at a "disadvantage". The reason for this is that Apple -- despite what they claim -- is using tracking for their ad system. ATT denies equivalent access to third-party apps, hence its illegality. So Apple should instead provide users with the option to opt out of ALL ad tracking including Apple's current process with ATT. If Apple did this, I doubt there would be issues. Again, not sure. But since ATT was implemented it has been pretty widely reported that Apple was not exempting itself from tracking, just its competitors. HTH, NSC

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I don’t want Apple targeting me either, and I don’t want them using ATT as a club to defend their monopoly on it.

inb4 someone tries to argue that the user data stored on iPhones belongs to Apple, since it was generated on their platform.

I'm pretty sure we can all agree that individual user data should belong to the individual user.

 

[jz0309]

This is quite ridiculous. Shouldn’t it be up to the user of the apps to decide if they wish to be tracked across apps?

no, the government knows better than you what's good for you ...

 

[SebCohen]

This is actually my only reason to go over to Apple. Sure, kind of like iOS now…but….if this happens, I actually want to go back.

 

[patmondal]

Sadly this really seems to be the case.

Some of what the EU has been doing in terms of their draconian competitive requirements are at least arguably good for consumers, but this is so flagrantly awful for actual consumers, actual privacy, and benefits no one but data-hoarding, privacy-invading bad-actors that it is absolutely unforgivable and nothing but pure villainy.

the land of GDPR now wants to allow advertisers to track consumers?
Is privacy their focus, or do they have a vendetta against Apple, or are they being paid/lobbied by Meta and other advertisers.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

They get what they voted for, so much for the argument of the socialist regimes protecting the user.