Apple (apple on 164news.com) Faces £2bn UK Claim Over App Tracking Transparency
Apple is facing a £2bn claim in London over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), brought by a former CMA official, Ann Pope. The claim argues that while Apple requires developers to ask permission before tracking users across apps, its own advertising operation gathers comparable data without the same consent requirement.
The Claim
The case, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, values the claim at $2.7bn. It argues that ATT policies apply to everyone except Apple, creating asymmetry and causing losses for UK app developers.
Pope’s Action
Pope has divided the action into two parts: ensuring fair rules and compensating losses suffered by British companies.
Apple maintains that its ATT framework delivers "important privacy protections" for users, declining to comment further on the claim.
The Impact of ATT
The feature, introduced in 2021, quickly reshaped the mobile advertising industry. The prompt asking for permission to track users across apps disrupted the flow of identifiers that mobile advertising had relied on. Developers describe harm primarily related to measurement, as apps struggle to attribute sales to specific ads.
Apple’s Rivalry
Google previously settled a UK class action over Play Store fees for £260m, avoiding a potential judgment. Meanwhile, Apple faces separate legal pressure over the App Store, including a claim over App Store fees already before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Global Legal Pressure
The App Store is under legal scrutiny on multiple continents. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple’s appeal against a contempt finding in the Epic case, which, though focused on commissions, draws on similar arguments regarding platform control.
France’s competition authority fined Apple €150m in 2025 for how it implemented ATT, while Italy’s regulator also imposed a fine.