Apple Agrees to Overhaul iPhone Tracking Consent Rules in EU
Apple has agreed to overhaul the way its iPhones ask users for permission to be tracked, following an investigation by Germany’s competition regulator, Bundeskartellamt. The regulator found that Apple held third-party apps to stricter consent standards than its own services, a clear case of self-preferencing.
The agreed fix includes:
- "Visually and linguistically neutral" tracking consent pop-ups, removing discouraging wording and symbols.
- Allowing developers to combine Apple’s mandatory tracking request with their own data protection prompts, eliminating the need for two separate hurdles.
These changes will apply across almost all of the EU.
Background:
The "Ask App Not to Track" system introduced by Apple in 2021 gives users control over their tracking permissions but was seen as favoring Apple’s own services over third-party apps.
Consequences:
Apple has four months from the formal decision to implement these changes, and an independent trustee will oversee the implementation for seven years.
Precedent:
This settlement follows similar actions by France and Italy against Apple over the same issue. It reflects a broader European trend of challenging Apple’s tight control over its ecosystem using both financial penalties and rulemaking.