US EditionItaly antitrust agency fines Apple $116 million over privacy feature; Apple announces appeal
Italy's AGCM fined Apple €98.6 million for requiring double user consent via its App Tracking Transparency, which it found disproportionately restricts third-party developers and advertisers.
- On Dec 22, Italy's Competition Authority fined Apple Inc. €98.6 million for alleged abuse of its App Store dominance via App Tracking Transparency, and Apple said it strongly disagrees and will appeal.
- The ATT prompt, introduced in 2021, forced third-party developers to seek double consent, the AGCM said after opening a May 2023 probe with the European Commission and other authorities.
- Developers faced immediate harm as the AGCM found the 'double consent' requirement restricted data for personalized ads, forcing third-party app developers to duplicate consent requests and benefiting Apple's advertising division.
- The AGCM said Apple Inc. could have used less restrictive methods like single-step consent, and the ruling mirrors a French €150 million fine earlier this year, following probes in Germany.
- Apple warned it may have to stop offering App Tracking Transparency in the EU amid mounting regulatory pressure, defending it as a privacy safeguard praised by the Garante; coordinated scrutiny could reshape EU app market consent flows.
70 Articles
70 Articles
Italy fines Apple $116 million for breach of competition-law
Italy’s Competition Authority (AGCM) announced on Monday that it has fined Apple €98.6 million ($116 million) for imposing unfair conditions on third-party app developers through the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy. This decision centers on Apple’s requirement, beginning in April 2021, that developers display an ATT consent prompt before tracking user data across apps. AGCM launched an investigation in May 2023 and ultimately determined t…
Italy Fines Apple $116 Million for Double-Consent Requirement
The Italian competition authority, Italy’s equivalent of the Federal Trade Commission, fined Apple Inc. nearly $116 million for what it said were restrictive privacy rules that harmed third-party app developers. The watchdog authority—known as the AGCM—said on Dec. 22 that Apple, Apple Distribution International Ltd., and Apple Italia S.r.l. abused its “super-dominant” market position in its mobile app environment by making third-party app devel…
Apple Hit with $116 Million Fine Over Privacy Feature Controversy
Italy's antitrust authority fined Apple 98.6 million euros for its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, which was deemed to limit App Store competition. The policy requires apps to gain user consent for data use, impacting smaller app developers. Apple plans to appeal the decision, defending its privacy stance.
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