Apple to change app tracking consent rules in EU

• Apple has four months to implement the changes after the decision is served.
• The commitments will remain in place for seven years and be monitored by a trustee.
• The changes will apply in almost all EU countries.

Apple has revealed plans to change the rules governing how app developers can use personal data for targeted advertising on iPhones and iPads.

As reported by Reuters, an investigation by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) found that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework gave Apple’s own apps more favourable consent prompts than those shown to third-party developers, potentially breaching competition rules.

Under commitments agreed with the FCO, consent pop-ups for third-party apps must be redesigned to remove discouraging language and symbols. The prompts must also be visually and linguistically neutral.

Consent changes

Apple has four months to implement the changes once the decision is served. The commitments will remain in place for seven years and will be monitored by a trustee.

Apple said it believes the current ATT prompt provides a clear and effective way for users to control their data, an opinion it said is shared by German data protection authorities. However, the company agreed to change the prompt’s text and formatting at the FCO’s request.

“While we believe the current ATT prompt provides a clear, easy-to-understand and effective way to keep users in control of their data – ‌an ⁠opinion shared by the German data protection authorities – we have agreed to make changes to the text and formatting of the prompt at the FCO's request," said Apple.

The changes will apply in almost all European Union countries.