Italy’s competition authority has fined Apple €98.6 million ($115.5 million), accusing the U.S. tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market.
The regulator said Apple holds “absolute dominance” through its App Store and unfairly imposed stricter privacy requirements on third-party app developers.
The fine follows an investigation launched in May 2023, focusing on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy introduced in 2021. Authorities claim Apple forced developers to request extra user consent for data collection and advertising, creating unequal conditions.
According to the watchdog, the rules were imposed unilaterally, harmed developers’ interests, and went beyond what was necessary to protect user privacy. Developers were also required to duplicate consent requests.
Apple said it strongly disagrees with the decision, arguing that ATT gives users clear control over tracking across apps and websites. The company confirmed it will appeal the ruling.
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