By Kirsti Knolle
BERLIN, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Germany’s antitrust authority said on Tuesday it is testing Apple’s proposed changes to its app tracking rules, seeking feedback from publishers, media groups and regulators to assess whether the new measures address competition concerns.
Apple said it had agreed to make changes to the text and formatting of the consent prompt (ATT) at the regulator’s request, “while maintaining core user benefits”.
The U.S. Big Tech group added that it believes privacy is a fundamental human right and said it would continue to advocate for strong protections for users.
In February, the German regulator accused Apple of abusing its market power and in March, France fined Apple 150 million euros ($174 million) over aspects of its tracking framework.
The case is being pursued under Section 19a of Germany’s competition law and Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in coordination with other authorities and the European Commission.
REGULATOR ASSESSES CONSENT PROCESS
Apple had agreed to introduce neutral consent prompts for both its own services and third-party apps, and to largely align the wording, content and visual design of these messages, said Andreas Mundt, head of Germany’s Bundeskartellamt.
The company also proposed simplifying the consent process so developers can obtain user permission for advertising-related data processing in a way that complies with data protection law.
The regulator is involving the federal commissioner for data protection and Bavaria’s data protection authority in the test.
It noted, however, that Apple’s proposals do not cover how it measures advertising performance, known as attribution, which the company intends to continue without prior user consent.
The antitrust authority said in a statement it remains critical of this approach and will examine whether third-party providers are still at a competitive disadvantage.
A final decision will follow the market test.
($1 = 0.8613 euros)
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, Editing by Friederike Heine and Alexander Smith)
Comments