Germany Considering Apple's App Tracking Transparency Changes

[MacRumors]

Germany is evaluating Apple's proposed changes to address antitrust concerns over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), reports Reuters. Apple plans to tweak the text and formatting of the ATT consent prompt, while aiming to preserve the main privacy benefits of the feature.

Apple will add neutral consent prompts for its own services and for third-party apps, aligning the wording, content, and visual design of the messages. Apple also plans to simplify the consent process to make it easier for developers to get user permission for ad-related data processing.

Germany is asking for feedback from publishers, media groups, and regulators to determine if Apple's changes will address complaints about the limited amount of user data available to app publishers.

Earlier this year, Apple said that it might have to remove ATT from the EU. "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.

Germany first launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency in 2022 after complaints from advertisers, and in February 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office preliminarily decided that Apple abused its market power, giving itself preferential treatment. According to German regulators, Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for developers to access user data relevant for advertising.

Introduced in 2021, App Tracking Transparency 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.

ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of Apple devices without express consumer permission, so apps can't track what users do and use that data for ad targeting. ATT has been unpopular with advertisers and data brokers, but Apple has pledged to work to convince Germany and other EU countries to allow it to continue to offer ATT to consumers.

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Article Link: Germany Considering Apple's App Tracking Transparency Changes

 

[Lyrics23]

As long as Apple treats its own apps and third-party apps equally, they're okay.

Their claim that they might remove App Tracking Transparency only holds true if they intend to favour their own apps over third parties; which is anti-competitive and the whole reason they're in this mess in the first place.

Much better for them if they just stop favouring their own apps in any way that's potentially anti-competitive. It shouldn't be that hard to just treat their own apps exactly as third party apps are treated.

Better privacy for consumers that way, if Apple apps no longer receive an automatic opt-out of tracking limitations.

 

[robd003]

Does anyone else find it insane that the EU which invented GDPR privacy protections is trying to force Apple to make it easier for advertising firms to track people?

You'd think the EU would be all in favor for limiting ad tracking. More and more it just seems like a desperate attempt to extract wealth from successful American companies because Europe cannot innovate.

 

[mazz0]

It’s be nice if the article told us how the warnings are currently worded for Apple’s own apps and for third party’s apps. That’s pretty much the crux of the question of who’s in the right.

 

[surferfb]

As long as Apple treats its own apps and third-party apps equally, they're okay.

Their claim that they might remove App Tracking Transparency only holds true if they intend to favour their own apps over third parties; which is anti-competitive and the whole reason they're in this mess in the first place.

Incorrect. ATT applies to Apple and third party apps equally. Just because the regulator doesn’t understand that doesn’t change the fact.

Much better for them if they just stop favouring their own apps in any way that's potentially anti-competitive. It shouldn't be that hard to just treat their own apps exactly as third party apps are treated.

Apple isn’t favoring its own apps. They are treated exactly the same way third party apps are treated.

Better privacy for consumers that way, if Apple apps no longer receive an automatic opt-out of tracking limitations.

ATT doesn’t apply to Apple because Apple doesn’t do third party tracking across non-Apple apps and websites.

 

[gleepskip]

EU busybody bureaucrats. How many stories are we up to today on MR about the EU asserting their obnoxious control over everything Apple do?

 

[HMI]

Does anyone else find it insane that the EU which invented GDPR privacy protections is trying to force Apple to make it easier for advertising firms to track people?

You'd think the EU would be all in favor for limiting ad tracking. More and more it just seems like a desperate attempt to extract wealth from successful American companies because Europe cannot innovate.

No crazier than Google and Facebook working together to change California law so that privacy violations are capped at something like $1500 or $2500 max, so they can just break the law and pay effectively a small, non-consequential, business fee.

 

[macbookj0e]

“Federal Cartel Office”

They don’t even try to hide they’re legal gangsters?

 

[klasma]

EU busybody bureaucrats. How many stories are we up to today on MR about the EU asserting their obnoxious control over everything Apple do?

This is the German federal authorities reacting to competition law complaints, which they are required to by law.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

They want Apple to NOT tell people that what Meta, Google and other ad networks Germans may have never logged in to, want to do, is to track them across apps and across websites. There are people in this thread that will say informing people that they’re being tracked is wrong.

But, that’s where we are.