Apple Hit With Supersized Fine in Italy Over an iPhone Privacy Feature

Italy's Competition Authority (AGCM) has imposed a €98.6 cardinal ($116 million) good connected Apple implicit its App Tracking Transparency feature.


Since the merchandise of iOS 14.5 successful April 2021, Apple has required apps to inquire for support earlier tracking a user's enactment crossed different apps and websites for personalized advertising, arsenic portion of a diagnostic named App Tracking Transparency. If a idiosyncratic selects the "Ask App Not to Track" option, the app is incapable to entree the device's advertizing identifier.

In a press release and executive summary today, the AGCM said the App Tracking Transparency rules are "disproportionate," and "harmful" to app developers and advertisers. Ultimately, it recovered that Apple abused its ascendant presumption successful the EU market.

The regulator does not instrumentality contented with Apple implementing policies that are designed to fortify privateness and information for users, but it said the App Tracking Transparency diagnostic is "excessively burdensome for developers."

Specifically, iPhone and iPad users successful the EU are presented with some App Tracking Transparency and GDPR-related support prompts successful apps, and the AGCM recovered this "double consent" request to beryllium harmful to app developers and advertisers.

"Apple could person achieved the aforesaid level of privateness extortion for its users done means little restrictive of competition," the AGCM said. "This would person prevented the unilateral imposition of further burdens connected third-party developers, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned treble consent requests for advertizing purposes."

The regulator besides recovered that the App Tracking Transparency rules look susceptible of generating fiscal benefits for Apple, adjacent though the diagnostic applies to its ain apps arsenic well. The lone crushed that Apple apps bash not amusement an App Tracking Transparency punctual is due to the fact that Apple does not way idiosyncratic enactment crossed different apps and websites.

In a connection shared with respective media outlets, Apple said it volition entreaty the decision, and it touted the privateness benefits of App Tracking Transparency.

Earlier this year, Apple warned that it whitethorn beryllium forced to stop offering App Tracking Transparency successful the EU owed to regulatory pressures successful countries specified arsenic Italy, France, Germany, and Poland, and from the overarching European Commission.
This article, "Apple Hit With Supersized Fine successful Italy Over an iPhone Privacy Feature" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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