Apple will let EU apps use less alarming tracking consent screens
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Apple has reached agreements with several European competition authorities to alter its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompts for apps distributed in the EU. The changes, prompted by a multi‑year antitrust investigation led by Germany’s regulator, require alternative consent screens that use full‑page layouts, omit the word “track,” and replace button labels with “Allow” and “Reject.” Developers may also add a link to detailed explanations of data use. The revised prompts will apply in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania, and will allow a re‑prompt after one year. Regulators said the original ATT system favored Apple because its own apps could use ecosystem data without a consent screen, while third‑party apps faced stricter requirements. Update seeks to balance privacy and ads.
💡 Why It Matters
- · By softening ATT prompts only in key EU markets, Apple reduces friction for advertisers while preserving its own data advantage, reshaping the privacy‑advertising trade‑off in Europe.
