German publishers push regulators to fine Apple over ATT - 9to5Mac

"When it comes to the App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets users choose whether their data is shared with third parties through cross-app tracking, Apple is fighting multiple antitrust battles, most of them in Europe. In general, the accusations are the same: App Tracking Transparency is anticompetitive. The way publishers see it, Apple shouldn't stand between publications and advertising data."

"Apple (...) holds itself to a higher standard than it requires of any third-party developer by providing users with an affirmative choice as to whether they would like personalized ads at all. And Apple has designed services and features such as Siri, Maps, FaceTime, and iMessage such that the company cannot link data across those services even if it wished to do so."

"Apple had agreed to introduce neutral consent prompts for both its own services and third-party apps, and to largely align the wording, content and visual design of these messages, said Andreas Mundt, head of Germany's Bundeskartellamt. The company also proposed simplifying the consent process so developers can obtain user permission for advertising-related data processing in a way that complies with data protection law."

German media agencies and publishers are calling on the country's antitrust authority to reject Apple's proposed modifications to App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and levy penalties against the company. Publishers argue that ATT creates unfair competitive advantages by restricting third-party access to tracking data while exempting Apple's own services from identical restrictions. Apple maintains that ATT protects user privacy and that the company applies stricter standards to itself than to third-party developers. In response to German antitrust investigations, Apple proposed changes including neutral consent prompts for both its services and third-party apps, with aligned messaging and simplified consent processes for advertising-related data collection. German regulators subsequently consulted with industry stakeholders to evaluate these proposals.

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