DUESSELDORF — Apple has agreed to change how app providers seek user consent for personalized advertising on iPhones and iPads after Germany’s competition authority found its practices potentially favored its own apps over third-party developers .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) concluded a years-long investigation after Apple offered commitments to address concerns that its App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF) gave its own offerings more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers .
The regulator’s President, Andreas Mundt, stated, “If Apple sets up additional rules within its ecosystem for the use of data, these rules must, under Germany’s special abuse provision for large digital companies, not treat its own offerings better than those of its competitors” .
Under the binding commitments, Apple will align consent prompts for its own offerings and third-party apps more closely, removing potentially discouraging symbols and wording from its predefined requests for third-party providers . App publishers will also gain greater freedom to combine Apple’s consent request with those required under data protection law .
CDA News Nigeria reports that the changes are not intended to increase consent rates for personalized advertising. The authority emphasized users who do not wish to allow their data to be used must be able to make an equally free and informed decision .
Apple has four months to implement the agreed changes, which will apply for seven years and be monitored by an independent trustee . France and Italy had previously fined Apple €150 million and €98.6 million respectively over similar proceedings concerning the ATT framework .
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