Apple will let EU apps use less-alarming tracking-consent screens

After a multi-year antitrust probe by Germany’s federal competition regulator and other European authorities, Apple has agreed to alter how apps in the EU present App Tracking Transparency (ATT) consent prompts. The changes let developers use an alternative, less alarming consent screen with modified wording, formatting and a link to more information, while keeping the requirement to prompt users intact.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished about 12 hours agoUpdated about 3 hours ago0 views

Apple will let EU apps use less-alarming tracking-consent screens

Why It Matters

The adjustments respond to regulator findings that ATT advantaged Apple by exempting its own apps from the same consent flow, a dynamic that has affected ad-supported app businesses. The changes could affect how many users grant tracking permission and how third-party apps explain data use in the EU.

Key Facts

Regulators involved: Germany's federal competition regulator and other European competition authorities
System at issue: Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT)
Countries where alternative prompt will be available: Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Romania
Specific UI and wording changes: Full-page screens (not pop-ups); removal of the word 'track'; buttons labeled 'Allow' and 'Reject' instead of 'Allow' and 'Ask App Not to Track'; color and formatting changes; clickable link for more information
Re-prompt policy: Developers may re-prompt EU users one year after the user's prior ATT choice

European competition regulators concluded that Apple's App Tracking Transparency system gave the company an edge over third-party app developers because Apple’s own apps can use data from its ecosystem without showing the same consent screen. After a multi-year probe led by Germany’s federal competition regulator and others, Apple agreed to modify requirements for ATT consent prompts for apps distributed in the EU.

The agreement does not eliminate the need to obtain user consent or change when the prompt is shown. Instead, it permits developers whose apps are distributed in the EU to present an alternative consent screen with adjusted formatting and language. Apple says the alternative will be the only version available in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania to meet legal obligations.

Apple outlined more than half a dozen changes aimed at making ATT prompts appear less alarming to users. Those changes include showing consent as a full-page screen rather than a pop-up, removing the word "track" from the wording, replacing the previous choice labels with "Allow" and "Reject," and altering colors and layout. Developers will also be able to include a clickable link where they can provide additional information explaining why they request the permission and how they use the data.

Apple maintains that the ATT system protects consumer privacy, while regulators have said it favored the company by not subjecting Apple’s first-party apps to the same consent requirement. The update also permits developers distributing to the EU to re-prompt users for tracking permission one year after a user’s prior ATT decision. The changes aim to reconcile regulatory concerns without removing the requirement to ask users for consent.