Apple hit with $162 million fine in France for privacy feature

Remember when Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, giving you more control over which apps could track your activity? It seemed like a win for user privacy. However, French regulators have recently fined Apple $162 million (approximately €150 million), accusing it of using ATT to unfairly favor its own services over those of third-party developers. ​

Launched in 2021, ATT requires apps to obtain user consent before tracking their data across other apps and websites. While this empowers users to protect their personal information, the French Competition Authority argues that Apple's implementation was "artificially complex" and disproportionately affected smaller app developers who rely on advertising revenue.

While developers had to present multiple pop-ups and explain why tracking was necessary, Apple users could simply check a box to opt in. This disparity, regulators say, harmed competition by restricting ad revenues for app publishers and advertisers.

Apple, for its part, maintains that ATT was designed to be applied consistently across all apps, including its own, and remains committed to protecting user privacy. While the fine does not require Apple to change ATT, the company must publicly acknowledge the ruling on its website for a week.

This is not the first time Apple has faced regulatory scrutiny in France. In January 2023, it was fined €8 million for collecting user data for targeted App Store ads without explicit consent. Before that, in 2020, it faced a €1.1 billion fine over anti-competitive practices in its distribution network. Apple isn’t alone in facing scrutiny over tracking practices in France. Google was fined $170 million (€150 million) in January 2022 for making it harder for users to reject cookies than to accept them.

Despite the fine, Apple will still remain financially unshaken, having reported $124 billion in revenue in the final quarter of 2024. With European regulators intensifying their focus on Big Tech, Apple’s battle over privacy, competition, and data practices is far from over.