Apple fined EUR 150m in France over app tracking feature
By Josh White
Date: Monday 31 Mar 2025
(Sharecast News) - France's competition watchdog fined Apple €150m on Monday, for abusing its dominant position in mobile app advertising through its 'App Tracking Transparency' (ATT) tool, which has been in place since 2021.
The decision marked the first antitrust penalty against Apple related to ATT, a privacy feature that requires apps to obtain user consent before tracking activity across other apps and websites.
France's Competition Authority concluded that although Apple's stated goal of enhancing user privacy was legitimate, the implementation of ATT was neither necessary nor proportionate.
It found that the system created an uneven playing field by placing greater burdens on third-party developers compared to Apple's own services.
Users were subjected to an excessive number of consent requests from third-party apps, while Apple's own tracking required fewer steps to disable, undermining the neutrality of the tool.
According to the regulator, the design disadvantaged smaller app publishers and advertising providers, many of whom rely heavily on third-party data collection to fund their operations.
The investigation followed complaints from various online advertising and media associations, which accused Apple of using ATT to stifle competition under the guise of user privacy.
While the fine was relatively small compared to Apple's global revenue - $124bn in the last quarter of 2024 alone - it added to mounting regulatory scrutiny in Europe.
Authorities in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania had already launched similar investigations into the feature.
However, the French decision would not require Apple to modify ATT, only to publish the ruling on its website for seven days.
Apple defended the feature, saying it provides a consistent and clear user prompt for all developers, including Apple itself, and maintained strong support from consumers and privacy advocates.
At 0846 EDT (1346 BST), shares in Apple were down 0.45% in premarket trading in New York, at $216.93.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
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