Italy fines Apple €98m over App privacy feature

In a statement issued on Monday, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said its investigation found that Apple had violated competition principles by imposing restrictive privacy rules on third-party app developers in a market where the company holds a “super-dominant position” via the App Store.

The authority concluded that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework was applied unilaterally and harmed developers’ commercial interests. Under ATT, introduced in 2021, apps must request explicit user consent before tracking activity across other apps and websites. If users refuse, developers lose access to data crucial for targeted advertising.

Broader European scrutiny

The AGCM noted that similar concerns have been raised by regulators across Europe. Earlier this year, French antitrust authorities imposed a €150 million fine on Apple for the same feature. Other European competition authorities are also examining whether ATT unfairly disadvantages third-party developers while favouring Apple’s own advertising services.

Apple’s position under debate

While Apple maintains that ATT is designed to protect user privacy, critics argue that the system limits competitors’ access to data and strengthens Apple’s position in digital advertising markets.