Latest news with #FrenchCompetitionAuthority
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
France's antitrust watchdog fines Apple for problems with App Tracking Transparency
PARIS (AP) — France's antitrust watchdog fined Apple 150 million euros ($162 million) on Monday over a privacy feature protecting users from apps snooping on them because its introduction resulted in abuse of competition law. The French Competition Authority said the aim of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requiring iPhone and iPad apps to ask users for permission before tracking them was not in itself open to criticism. But it ruled that the 'way in which it was implemented was neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated objective of protecting personal data.' Apple rolled out ATT starting in April 2021 as part of an update to the operating system powering the iPhone and iPad. The feature forces apps to obtain permission before collecting data to target users with personalized ads. While the feature was designed to tighten up privacy, it faced criticism from Big Tech rivals that it would make it harder for smaller apps to survive without charging consumers. The fine, punishing Apple for abuse of its dominant position in mobile app distribution, covers the period from April 2021 to July 2023. But the amount is a pittance for the iPhone maker, which earned $124 billion in revenue in the final three months of last year. The watchdog said the feature's rollout resulted in users being barraged by pop-ups from third-party apps requesting their consent. It bemoaned how the proliferation of these consent windows made it "excessively complex" for app users to navigate the iOS environment. It also questioned the system's neutrality, saying it penalized the smallest publishers, which depend to a large extent on the collection of third-party data to finance their activity. Apple said in a statement that ATT gives users more privacy control 'through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking.' 'That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world,' the company said. "While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority (FCA) has not required any specific changes to ATT.' ___ AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed from London. Sign in to access your portfolio
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
France's antitrust watchdog fines Apple for problems with App Tracking Transparency
PARIS — France's antitrust watchdog fined Apple 150 million euros ($162 million) on Monday over a privacy feature protecting users from apps snooping on them because its introduction resulted in abuse of competition law. The French Competition Authority said the aim of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requiring iPhone and iPad apps to ask users for permission before tracking them was not in itself open to criticism. But it ruled that the 'way in which it was implemented was neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated objective of protecting personal data.' Apple rolled out ATT starting in April 2021 as part of an update to the operating system powering the iPhone and iPad. The feature forces apps to obtain permission before collecting data to target users with personalized ads. While the feature was designed to tighten up privacy, it faced criticism from Big Tech rivals that it would make it harder for smaller apps to survive without charging consumers. The fine, punishing Apple for abuse of its dominant position in mobile app distribution, covers the period from April 2021 to July 2023. But the amount is a pittance for the iPhone maker, which earned $124 billion in revenue in the final three months of last year. The watchdog said the feature's rollout resulted in users being barraged by pop-ups from third-party apps requesting their consent. It bemoaned how the proliferation of these consent windows made it 'excessively complex' for app users to navigate the iOS environment. It also questioned the system's neutrality, saying it penalized the smallest publishers, which depend to a large extent on the collection of third-party data to finance their activity. Apple said in a statement that ATT gives users more privacy control 'through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking.' 'That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world,' the company said. 'While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority (FCA) has not required any specific changes to ATT.' ___ AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed from London.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple hit with $162 million French antitrust fine over privacy tool
By Florence Loeve and Foo Yun Chee PARIS (Reuters) -Apple was hit with a 150 million euro ($162.4 million) fine by French antitrust regulators on Monday for abusing its dominant position in mobile app advertising on its devices via a privacy control tool. The fine - the first by any antitrust regulator over Apple's App Tracking Transparency tool - comes a year after the European Union hit the company with a 1.8 billion euro antitrust fine for thwarting rival music streaming services on its App Store. The head of the French Competition Authority dismissed worries that the decision would prompt retaliation from U.S. President Donald Trump who has threatened to slap fines on EU countries fining U.S. companies. "We apply competition law in an apolitical manner," Benoit Coeure told a press conference. "But what we have heard ... is that they (U.S. authorities) intend to apply antitrust law to the big digital platforms as strictly as their predecessors. So in terms of antitrust, I don't see any controversy between the United States and Europe on how we apply the law," he said. The ATT tool lets iPhone and iPad users decide which apps can track their activity. Digital advertising and mobile gaming companies complained it made it more expensive and difficult for brands to advertise on Apple's platforms. "While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT," Apple said in a statement. Coeuré told reporters the regulator had not spelled out how Apple should change its app, but that it was up to the company to make sure it now complied with the ruling. The compliance process could take some time, he added, because Apple was waiting for rulings on regulators in Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania who are also investigating the ATT tool. The French case, which covered the period 2021 to 2023, was triggered by complaints from several associations for online advertisers, publishers and internet networks accusing Apple of abusing its market power. "While the objective pursued by ATT is not in itself open to criticism, the way it is implemented is neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple's stated objective of protecting personal data," the regulator said in a statement. It added that the privacy tool "particularly penalized smaller publishers," as they depend to a large extent on the collection of third-party data to fund their businesses. Alliance Digitale, the Syndicat des Regies Internet (SRI), the Union des Entreprises de Conseil et d'Achat Média (Udecam) and the Groupement des Éditeurs de Services en Ligne, which had complained to the French watchdog, said the decision was a significant victory for advertisers. ($1 = 0.9239 euros) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
France fines Apple 150 million euros over privacy feature
French antitrust authorities handed Apple a 150-million-euro ($162-million) fine on Monday over its app tracking privacy feature, which is also under scrutiny in several other European countries. The watchdog said the way Apple implemented its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) software was "neither necessary nor proportionate to the company's stated goal to protect user data" and also penalised third-party publishers. In addition to the fine, Apple will have to publish the decision on its website for seven days. Authorities in Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland have opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard. "While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT," Apple said in a statement. The feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites. If they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad targeting. Critics have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors. - 'More control over privacy' - In its decision, France's Competition Authority said the ATT feature leads to an excessive number of consent windows for third-party apps on iPhones and iPads, making the experience more cumbersome. It also found that Apple's system required users to opt out of ad tracking twice rather than once, "undermining the neutrality of the feature" and causing economic harm to app publishers and ad service providers. The authority added that Apple's approach disproportionately affects smaller publishers, who rely heavily on third-party data collection to fund their businesses. Following complaints from advertising industry players who claimed ATT hindered their ability to target users, France's competition watchdog initially declined to impose emergency measures in 2021 but continued its investigation. Apple said on Monday that ATT "gives users more control of their privacy through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking". "That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world," it said. kf/may/lth/bc
Al Etihad
31-03-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
France fines Apple 150 million euros over privacy feature
31 Mar 2025 14:03 PARIS (AFP)French antitrust authorities handed Apple a 150-million-euro ($162-million) fine on Monday over its app tracking privacy feature, which is also under scrutiny in several other European watchdog said the way Apple implemented its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) software was "neither necessary nor proportionate to the company's stated goal to protect user data" and also penalised third-party addition to the fine, Apple will have to publish the decision on its website for seven in Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland have opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard."While we are disappointed with today's decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT," Apple said in a feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors. 'More control over privacy' In its decision, France's Competition Authority said the ATT feature leads to an excessive number of consent windows for third-party apps on iPhones and iPads, making the experience more also found that Apple's system required users to opt out of ad tracking twice rather than once, "undermining the neutrality of the feature" and causing economic harm to app publishers and ad service authority added that Apple's approach disproportionately affects smaller publishers, who rely heavily on third-party data collection to fund their complaints from advertising industry players who claimed ATT hindered their ability to target users, France's competition watchdog initially declined to impose emergency measures in 2021 but continued its said on Monday that ATT "gives users more control of their privacy through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking". "That prompt is consistent for all developers, including Apple, and we have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world," it said.
