Apple Fined €150 Million Over Privacy Violations

French antitrust authorities have imposed a €150 million ($162 million) fine on Apple, citing concerns over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature. The French Competition Authority ruled that Apple’s implementation of ATT was “neither necessary nor proportionate” and unfairly disadvantaged third-party publishers.

As part of the penalty, Apple must display the ruling on its website for seven days. This decision follows ongoing investigations in Germany, Italy, Romania, and Poland, scrutinizing the 2021 privacy feature that requires user consent for cross-app tracking.

Under ATT, apps must obtain explicit user permission before tracking their activities. If users opt out, the app loses access to the advertising identifier, limiting targeted advertising. Critics argue this policy benefits Apple by restricting competitors while promoting its own advertising services.

The French regulator determined that ATT complicates consent procedures for third-party apps on iPhones and iPads. Users must navigate multiple prompts to opt out of tracking, whereas Apple’s own system requires fewer steps. The authority stated this design undermines the feature’s neutrality and financially harms app developers reliant on third-party data collection.

The decision highlights the significant impact on smaller publishers that depend on targeted advertising for revenue. While previous complaints from advertisers did not result in emergency measures, continued investigations ultimately led to this ruling.

Apple has yet to comment on whether it will challenge the fine.