● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact1 negative1 neutral
Apple faces new £2 billion UK lawsuit over App Tracking Transparency rules
Key points
- New £2 billion lawsuit filed in UK against Apple's ATT.
- App developers allege Apple abuses market power.
- Lawsuit claims Apple's own apps bypass ATT prompts.
- This is the third ATT-related complaint in the UK.
- Lawsuit is for $2.7 billion.
- Lawsuit filed by a former UK Competition and Markets Authority official.
- ATT debuted in 2021.
- Germany's Federal Cartel Office determined Apple favored its own apps last month.
New UK Lawsuit Against Apple's ATT
Apple is facing a new £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit in London, brought by app developers. The lawsuit centers on Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, which requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking their data across other apps and websites.
This legal action marks the third complaint related to ATT that Apple has encountered with the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Allegations of Market Abuse
The app developers behind the lawsuit accuse Apple of abusing its market power. They claim that Apple unfairly imposes greater restrictions on third-party app developers through ATT, while its own applications are not subject to the same permission prompts.
Apple has previously stated that its own apps do not present ATT prompts because they do not collect the specific data that ATT addresses, and third-party apps that also do not collect this data are similarly exempt.
Background on App Tracking Transparency
App Tracking Transparency was introduced by Apple to give users control over whether their data could be used for personalized advertising. This measure was a response to widespread concerns about privacy in personalized advertising, even when data was anonymized.
While personalized ads can benefit consumers, advertisers, and ad-funded apps, the collection of user data has often been perceived as an invasion of privacy.
Ongoing Legal Challenges
This new lawsuit adds to Apple's ongoing legal challenges regarding ATT. The company previously lost one complaint to the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal and is currently appealing that decision. Another complaint is still pending.
The consistent legal scrutiny highlights the contentious nature of ATT and its impact on the digital advertising ecosystem and app developer businesses.
Updates
- Lawsuit is for $2.7 billion.
- Lawsuit filed by a former UK Competition and Markets Authority official.
- ATT debuted in 2021.
- Germany's Federal Cartel Office determined Apple favored its own apps last month.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Apple faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit in the UK alleging its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy unfairly favors Apple's own advertising ecosystem over third-party developers. This legal action follows investigations by European regulators, including Germany's Federal Cartel Office, which found Apple's ATT pop-ups encouraged user consent for its services more than for external apps.
Apple is facing a new £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit in London from app developers regarding its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules. The lawsuit alleges Apple abuses its market power by unfairly imposing restrictions on third-party apps while its own apps are exempt, impacting developer revenue.