Apple ordered to change app data consent prompts on iPhones and iPads
Germany's Federal Cartel Office has ordered Apple to modify its data consent prompts on iOS devices. Regulators argue that Apple's current design unfairly steers users toward accepting Apple's own tracking while discouraging third-party data collection.
Why it matters
This ruling represents a significant challenge to Apple's 'gatekeeper' status under EU law and could force changes to how the company manages user privacy and advertising.
Apple’s changing its rules for data collection consent prompts after Germany’s Federal Cartel Office accused Apple of giving the prompts a design that favored its own apps. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency prompts reportedly cost social media apps nearly $10 billion when they launched with iOS 14.5, making cross-app tracking of users largely opt in. But as a designated “gatekeeper” under the EU’s DMA rules, it is facing additional scrutiny over whether the program provides a level playing field.
The regulator says the prompts steer users away from agreeing to let third-party apps use their data, while encouraging them to give consent for Apple’s apps.
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