Apple fined $116M in Italy over ATT privacy feature in iOS - SiliconANGLE

"Many iOS apps collect data about their users to deliver personalized ads. In some cases, apps combine their first-party data with user information from third-party services. That data blending process is carried with the help of an identifier such as IDFA, a unique string of characters Apple assigns to each iOS device. The data points that apps collect about a user are linked to the identifier."

"Italy's antitrust regulator, the AGCM, fined Apple after finding ATT to be anticompetitive. The decision is the fruit of a more than two-year investigation. The AGCM carried out the probe in collaboration with several other antitrust bodies in the European Union and Italy's privacy regulator. Officials took issue with the fact that the ATT consent banner through which users can authorize third-party data blending doesn't comply with Italian privacy rules."

Italy's competition regulator AGCM imposed a €98.63 million fine on Apple over App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in iOS, citing anticompetitive effects. Many iOS apps use identifiers like IDFA to combine first-party and third-party user data for personalized ads; ATT enables users to block that data blending unless they explicitly grant consent via a banner. The AGCM found the ATT consent banner does not comply with Italian privacy rules, forcing developers to present a second compliant banner. Requiring two consent requests creates an overly burdensome obligation that can harm developers, advertisers, and ad intermediaries, particularly smaller players. The probe lasted over two years and involved EU antitrust bodies and Italy's privacy regulator, and ATT has faced scrutiny in other jurisdictions.

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