The Eight Changes Apple is Making to App Tracking Transparency in Europe
Recently, it was reported that Apple has agreed to comply with revised “fairer” App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules in the European Union. This decision follows an in-depth investigation conducted by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO), a prominent antitrust regulator.
Apple has stated that its compliance is voluntary, aiming to make a total of eight changes to align with the new guidelines. These modifications are designed to address concerns about how app tracking is presented to users, ensuring they have a clear understanding of their choices.
Understanding App Tracking Transparency
Developers often collect more personal data than necessary for app functionalities, a practice known as app tracking. This involves using the interests revealed by the apps you install to serve personalized ads. The ATT feature empowers users to decide whether their data can be collected and utilized in this manner.
The FCO has acknowledged the value of offering users a choice in data protection. The report emphasized the importance of ATT from a privacy perspective, a sentiment echoed by other privacy regulators in the country.
Apple’s Modifications to ATT
To address the FCO’s concerns, Apple is implementing eight specific changes:
- Changing the color of the graphic element on top of the prompt from orange to blue
- Updating the ATT prompt to be a full page
- Removing the word “track” from the ATT prompt and Personalized Ads prompt
- Changing choice buttons of ATT from “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track” to “Allow” and “Reject”
- Allowing formatting changes such as bold, italics, and bulleted lists in the ATT prompt
- Adding an option for developers to surface an additional page of information directly from the prompt to provide further GDPR information. Developers can already use prompts before the ATT prompt to do this.
- Allowing developers to re-prompt users with the ATT prompt one year after they make a decision, whether that choice was “yes” or “no”
- Making minor adjustments to the Personalized Ads prompt language for clarity, without changing its effect or meaning
Apple has reiterated its commitment to maintaining ATT availability within EU countries, highlighting the initiative’s support from privacy advocates, data protection authorities, and iPhone users alike.
Apple’s Stance on App Tracking
Apple clarifies that its own apps do not display the ATT prompt because they do not utilize personal data from apps to deliver targeted ads or to measure ad effectiveness. The company insists that it treats third-party apps equally—if they do not collect data, they are exempt from showing the prompt.
9to5Mac’s Take
These changes appear to benefit all involved parties. iPhone users can continue making informed choices about personalized advertising, with prompts that more accurately reflect their decisions. The investigation also dispelled doubts regarding Apple’s ad sales practices, confirming that the company does not leverage its apps for data collection to deliver personalized ads or assess ad effectiveness.
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