Apple has agreed to change the way apps request permission to track users across other apps and websites in the European Union following a multi-year antitrust investigation by Germany’s federal competition regulator and other European authorities.
The changes affect Apple’s App Tracking Transparency, or ATT, system, which requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking their activity across other apps and websites. Regulators found that the system could give Apple an advantage over third-party developers because Apple’s own apps can use data collected across its ecosystem without showing users the same consent screen.
Under agreements reached with several European competition authorities, Apple will continue requiring apps to request user permission. However, developers distributing apps in the EU will have more flexibility in how those consent screens are presented. They will be able to use an alternative version with different wording and formatting, as well as provide a link to additional information explaining why the permission is being requested.
The changes include several modifications designed to make the consent process less intimidating for users. The ATT request can be presented as a full-page screen rather than a pop-up, while the word “track” will be removed. Apple will also change the available choices from “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track” to simpler “Allow” and “Reject” options. The design, colors and formatting of the screen will also be changed, while developers will be able to provide more detailed explanations through a clickable information link.
Apple said the alternative version of the consent system will be available only to apps distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania because of legal requirements.
The ATT system has been particularly significant for advertising-supported businesses. Users frequently choose not to allow tracking, limiting the ability of apps to collect data that can be used for personalized advertising. Companies such as Meta have argued that Apple’s privacy changes can affect their advertising businesses, while reports have also suggested that Apple’s own advertising business benefited from the changes.
Apple has maintained that its consent requirements are intended to protect user privacy. At the same time, the company allows its own apps to display personalized advertising based on data collected from its ecosystem, a difference that has drawn scrutiny from European regulators.
As part of the latest changes, Apple will also allow developers distributing apps in the EU to ask users for permission again one year after their previous decision. This means users who previously rejected or allowed tracking can receive another ATT consent request after a year.
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