Apple's App Tracking Transparency treated its own apps better than rivals
Germany's antitrust regulator, the Bundeskartellamt, has concluded that Apple's App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF) unfairly favored Apple's own apps over third-party apps. Apple has agreed to change its consent prompts to be more neutral and give third-party developers more flexibility. The commitments are binding for seven years and follow fines from French and Italian authorities. The case was based on Germany's special abuse control for large digital companies.
It is key that personal data and privacy are protected effectively when using apps. Apple is allowed to provide for a level of protection for its users that exceeds the minimum legal requirements. However, if Apple sets up additional rules within its ecosystem for the use of data, these rules must, under Germany’s special abuse provision for large digital companies, not treat its own offerings better than those of its competitors.