Germany orders Apple to stop steering users from apps
Germany's Federal Cartel Office rules Apple's tracking consent pop-ups favor its own apps, giving the tech giant four months to update designs.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Germany regulator finds Apple's data consent prompts unfairly steer users away from third-party apps.
- The current design uses warning symbols and biased wording favoring Apple's own services.
- Apple has been granted a four-month window to revise the pop-up language and design.
Germany's Federal Cartel Office has accused Apple of structuring its data collection consent pop-ups in a way that deliberately steers users away from granting permissions to third-party applications while simultaneously encouraging consent for Apple's native services.
This scrutiny comes as Apple operates as a designated gatekeeper under the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). When the App Tracking Transparency framework originally rolled out with iOS 14.5, it reportedly cost social media companies nearly $10 billion by shifting cross-app tracking largely to an opt-in model.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
According to the preliminary assessment by the Bundeskartellamt, several elements contribute to this steering effect on users:
- The inclusion of warning hand symbols on third-party prompts.
- Differing terminology such as app tracking versus personalised advertising.
- Partially ambiguous descriptions detailing data usage practices.
- Discrepancies in available layout space and the ordering of selection options.
This enforcement action under the EU's DMA highlights regulators' ongoing efforts to curb anti-competitive practices and level the playing field for external developers against dominant platform operators. Ensuring neutral consent mechanisms is critical for maintaining fair competition in digital advertising and app ecosystems.
Apple now faces a four-month deadline to update both the design and phrasing of its consent prompts across Europe. The adjustments will require removing discouraging icons like warning hands and adopting a neutral layout comparable to Apple's own prompts, with Reuters reporting that these changes will apply across almost all EU nations.
Source: The Verge
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