Apple adjusts EU app tracking prompt amid regulatory scrutiny

Apple is adjusting its app tracking notification for iPhones in the European Union after facing pressure from competition authorities and the advertising sector. The changes aim to resolve investigations by the German Federal Cartel Office and other European regulators.

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Apple is making changes to the app tracking prompt on iPhones in Germany and other European countries after criticism from competition authorities and pushback from the advertising industry.

The core of the dispute centered on Apple's "App Tracking Transparency" feature, which requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking their activity across other services for advertising purposes. Critics, including Meta (Facebook's parent company), argued that Apple unfairly favored its own services. The German Federal Cartel Office had preliminarily concluded that Apple's implementation might violate abuse regulations, noting that the requirements applied to other app providers but not to Apple itself.

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With the prompt, users can prohibit apps from collecting their activities on other services for advertising purposes.

Apple has stated that its own apps do not collect data from third-party applications. However, the Cartel Office pointed out that Apple could still combine data from its own services, such as the App Store and Apple ID, for advertising. The new version of the prompt will remove the word "tracking" and present users with a choice between "Allow" and "Prohibit." App operators will also be able to re-request permission after one year. These modifications are designed to make the prompts more neutral in content, language, and appearance, addressing the concerns about "deterrent symbols and formulations" previously used for third-party apps.

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The German Federal Cartel Office came to the preliminary assessment in February 2025 that the design of the function could violate abuse regulations.

The revised prompt will be displayed only to users physically present within the EU, regardless of their country of origin. This move is part of Apple's effort to comply with EU regulations and settle ongoing investigations, ensuring a more consistent approach across the region.

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Apple stated that its own apps do not collect data in applications from other providers.