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A standard ATT pop-up prompts users to grant permission for apps to “track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites,” indicating that the collected data will be utilized for delivering personalized advertisements.
Regulatory Concerns: “Double consent” challenges
The regulatory body has pointed out an inherent imbalance in how user consent is obtained. Apple’s methodology allows for a single pop-up to capture consent for its own data collection, whereas other publishers must secure a ‘double consent’ from users for tracking activities across third-party platforms. The announcement highlights that refusal of advertising tracking requires one-time action, yet consent must be reaffirmed each time users engage with other publishers.
This framework appears to favor large corporations like Meta and Google, while disproportionately impacting smaller entities that lack alternative targeting strategies—particularly in scenarios with insufficient proprietary data. Although the focus of the French authorities is on the repercussions for smaller players, notable critiques of Apple’s privacy measures have also emerged from platforms like Facebook.
The recent fine of €150 million is negligible compared to Apple’s overall revenue, but it is expected that Apple will need to implement changes to align with this French directive. According to the agency’s release, “the issue could be rectified with minor adjustments to the ATT framework.”
Benoit Coeure, the chief of France’s competition authority, indicated to journalists that while specific modifications for Apple’s app were not clearly outlined, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the ruling. He also noted that the timeline for compliance may extend, as Apple awaits decisions from regulators in other European nations—namely Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—who are investigating the ATT tool as well.
In response, Apple expressed disappointment over the ruling, reiterating that the ATT ‘prompt is uniform for all developers, including itself.’ The company highlighted that it has received considerable backing for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities globally. They emphasized that the French Competition Authority (FCA) has not mandated specific changes to the ATT.
Source
arstechnica.com