Germany Considering Apple's App Tracking Transparency Changes

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Germany is evaluating Apple's proposed changes to address antitrust concerns over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), reports Reuters. Apple plans to tweak the text and formatting of the ATT consent prompt, while aiming to preserve the main privacy benefits of the feature.

apple app tracking transparency ad
Apple will add neutral consent prompts for its own services and for third-party apps, aligning the wording, content, and visual design of the messages. Apple also plans to simplify the consent process to make it easier for developers to get user permission for ad-related data processing.

Germany is asking for feedback from publishers, media groups, and regulators to determine if Apple's changes will address complaints about the limited amount of user data available to app publishers.

Earlier this year, Apple said that it might have to remove ATT from the EU. "Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said.

Germany first launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency in 2022 after complaints from advertisers, and in February 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office preliminarily decided that Apple abused its market power, giving itself preferential treatment. According to German regulators, Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for developers to access user data relevant for advertising.

Introduced in 2021, App Tracking Transparency lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely.

ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of Apple devices without express consumer permission, so apps can't track what users do and use that data for ad targeting. ATT has been unpopular with advertisers and data brokers, but Apple has pledged to work to convince Germany and other EU countries to allow it to continue to offer ATT to consumers.

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Tags: App Tracking Transparency, Germany

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Top Rated Comments

robd003 Avatar
robd003
9 weeks ago
Does anyone else find it insane that the EU which invented GDPR privacy protections is trying to force Apple to make it easier for advertising firms to track people?

You'd think the EU would be all in favor for limiting ad tracking. More and more it just seems like a desperate attempt to extract wealth from successful American companies because Europe cannot innovate.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surferfb Avatar
surferfb
9 weeks ago

As long as Apple treats its own apps and third-party apps equally, they're okay.

Their claim that they might remove App Tracking Transparency only holds true if they intend to favour their own apps over third parties; which is anti-competitive and the whole reason they're in this mess in the first place.
Incorrect. ATT applies to Apple and third party apps equally. Just because the regulator doesn’t understand that doesn’t change the fact.



Much better for them if they just stop favouring their own apps in any way that's potentially anti-competitive. It shouldn't be that hard to just treat their own apps exactly as third party apps are treated.
Apple isn’t favoring its own apps. They are treated exactly the same way third party apps are treated.



Better privacy for consumers that way, if Apple apps no longer receive an automatic opt-out of tracking limitations.
ATT doesn’t apply to Apple because Apple doesn’t do third party tracking across non-Apple apps and websites.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
gleepskip
9 weeks ago
EU busybody bureaucrats. How many stories are we up to today on MR about the EU asserting their obnoxious control over everything Apple do?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
BaldiMac
9 weeks ago

You’re blatantly incorrect here.

The article itself points out that Apple is willing to make changes in the wording in order for that aspect to become equal; in other words, it currently isn’t equal.

Also, tracking is tracking. The whole point is that Apple’s tracking doesn’t get some magical exception just because Apple is the one doing it.

If Apple provides a way to limit the tracking third parties do, users must equally be able to limit Apple’s own tracking.
None of this is true. Like in other jurisdictions, they are trying to equate first-party tracking (which any app can do including Apple’s apps) with third party tracking which requires consent (which Apple’s apps don’t do).

This is all a lobbying ploy by advertisers to bypass the tremendously successful ATT.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
klasma
9 weeks ago

EU busybody bureaucrats. How many stories are we up to today on MR about the EU asserting their obnoxious control over everything Apple do?
This is the German federal authorities investigating competition law complaints, which they are required to by law.

More information by the federal agency here: https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2025/12_02_2025_ATTF.html

Note that this is a process started in mid 2022, so it’s not like they are rushing anything: https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2022/14_06_2022_Apple.html
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surferfb Avatar
surferfb
9 weeks ago

You’re blatantly incorrect here.

The article itself points out that Apple is willing to make changes in the wording in order for that aspect to become equal; in other words, it currently isn’t equal.
Apple is changing wording to please a regulator who doesn’t understand the difference between first party tracking and third party tracking. That doesn’t make me incorrect, it makes the regulator.


Also, tracking is tracking. The whole point is that Apple’s tracking doesn’t get some magical exception just because Apple is the one doing it.
The issue isn’t tracking. The regulator has no issue with tracking. In fact, the regulator wants to make it easier for third parties to track. The regulator doesn’t like that Apple’s apps don’t get the ATT warning, because the regulator doesn’t understand first party tracking is different than thirdnparry tracking. Meta is free to track users across all of their apps, no ATT prevention applies. When they try to track you across other developers apps and websites (which Apple does not do) then ATT applies.

This isn’t rock science.

If Apple provides a way to limit the tracking third parties do, users must equally be able to limit Apple’s own tracking.
They do. There is an on off switch, which is more than Meta gives in its own apps.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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