The regulatory body overseeing competitions in France has fined Apple 150 million euros or approximately 5,500 million baht for implementing the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which mandates app developers to display a prompt asking for user consent to track data for advertising purposes. Apple first integrated this feature with the release of iOS 14.5 in 2021.
The decision in France stemmed from complaints by a group of online advertising and media service providers in the country, alleging that Apple was abusing its market power. This has had repercussions on the online advertising business. Noteworthy is that this ruling is the first to explicitly state that ATT impacts fair competition in the market, as Apple faced similar complaints in Germany.
Apple had previously touted ATT as a measure to protect user privacy. The French regulatory body understood this aspect but stated in their decision that Apple’s actions were excessive and did not align with the claimed objective of privacy protection. This has affected companies that rely on advertising revenue, as they need to collect data for their business operations.
Apple’s representatives have expressed disappointment with the ruling. It’s important to note that the French regulatory body did not mandate Apple to alter the functionality of ATT in any way.
Source: CNBC
TLDR: France fines Apple for 150 million euros for implementing the App Tracking Transparency feature, affecting online advertising businesses and competition in the market. Apple’s privacy-focused move faces criticism and repercussions on companies reliant on advertising revenue.
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