Apple and Germany have reached an agreement about App Tracking Transparency in the App Store, reports Germany’s federal cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt,
The organization says Apple will change its rules on how app providers can use user data on iPhones and iPads for personalized advertising. The Bundeskartellamt objected to the way in which Apple had designed different consent requests for Apple’s own offerings and third-party apps.
Apple considers its rules (set out in its so-called “Apple Tracking Transparency Framework”, ATTF) to be compliant with competition law; nevertheless, the company offered commitments which the Bundeskartellamt has now declared binding. The proceeding has thus been concluded.
Apple’s ATTF introduced rules for third-party app providers on the use of data on iPhones and iPads. For specific forms of cross-company data use, third-party app providers must obtain not only user consent under data protection law, but also additional consent through a prompt that is predefined by Apple. However, the Bundeskartellamt complained that these ATTF rules didn’t apply to Apple’s own offerings. Now a compromise has apparently been reached.
Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt made this comment: “It is key that personal data and privacy are protected effectively when using apps. Apple is allowed to provide for a level of protection for its users that exceeds the minimum legal requirements. However, if Apple sets up additional rules within its ecosystem for the use of data, these rules must, under Germany’s special abuse provision for large digital companies, not treat its own offerings better than those of its competitors. This is precisely where our competition concerns arose. Apple will now align the consent requests much more closely and give third-party app providers more freedom to combine the necessary requests in a sensible way.”
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