Apple facing $2.7 billion UK lawsuit over 'unfair' app tracking rules
Thousands of app developers say Apple’s tracking rules unfairly force double consent and have harmed advertising businesses, as a UK tribunal case seeks £2 billion.
- On Thursday, ATT Collective Action Limited filed a £2 billion lawsuit against Apple at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal, accusing the iPhone maker of abusing its market power through unfair App Tracking Transparency restrictions on third-party developers.
- The legal claim argues that Apple's 'double consent requirement' harms third-party developers whose business models rely on advertising, while Apple's own advertising operation gathers comparable data without the same restrictions.
- European regulators have previously penalized Apple for the framework, with France's competition watchdog fining the company £150 million in April 2025 and Italy's authority fining it more than £98.6 million in December.
- Apple maintains the framework delivers 'important privacy protections' and has not commented further on the claim. The Competition Appeal Tribunal's opt-out collective regime means all affected developers are covered unless they actively opt out.
- The company is currently appealing a previous tribunal decision involving App Store commissions worth around £1.5 billion. This new case attacks the advertising layer instead, representing a different revenue stream and theory of harm.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Apple faces a 2 billion pound (US$2.7 billion) trial in London, driven on behalf of app developers because of its tracking rules. The iPhone manufacturer is accused of abusing its power to unfairly impose stricter restrictions on third parties. The trial, presented this Thursday (3) to the London Court of Competition Resources, takes place after years of regulatory scrutiny on Apple's "transparency" resource in tracking applications, launched in…
Reformatorisch Dagblad
App developers have sued Apple in London. The case revolves around the American tech company's app tracking feature, which requires apps to ask the user for permission before they can track that user on websites or in third-party apps.
Apple facing $2.7 billion UK lawsuit over ‘unfair’ app tracking rules
LONDON, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Apple is facing a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) London lawsuit brought on behalf of app developers over its app tracking rules, with the iPhone maker accused of abusing its power to unfairly impose greater restrictions on third parties. The lawsuit, filed at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal on Thursday, follows years of regulatory scrutiny over Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, which was launched in 2021. Ap…
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