According to Reuters, German publishers and advertising groups have urged their competition agencies to impose fines on the Apple application tracking transparency framework, stating that their proposed changes to the system are insufficient to address persistent antimonopoly concerns. Industry groups, including media agencies and the German Brand Products Association, submitted feedback to the German competition agency on the proposed revised Apple tool.
For the first time in February last year, German regulators charged Apple with abuse of its dominant position in the market, following complaints filed by companies such as Meta and publishers, advertisers and application developers, many of whom relied on advertising. Apple’s application tracking transparency (ATT) is designed to give users better control over how their data are shared, a feature that requires user approval before it can be used to track user activities across applications and websites.
The launch of ATT, which raised major concerns for mobile developers, led to an increase in the cost of single installation on apples. In response to the regulatory review, Apple proposed changes last December that would introduce more neutral indications of consent for its own services and for third-party applications, while coordinating the wording, design and presentation of such information. Apple also recommended that the consent process be simplified to enable developers to request permission to advertise related data processing under privacy law. However, industry groups indicated that the proposed adjustments would not address the core issues, arguing that apples would still control access to advertising-related data and continue to serve as gatekeepers for the way companies interact with customers.
In 2022, there were concerns that ATT might end the era of free games. Although the free game market remains strong after many years, concerns persist in Germany and elsewhere. In 2025, the French Competition Authority fined apples $162 million for overexecuting ATT.