Apple faces probe of app tracking transparency from French regulators

It was stated earlier this year that French regulators were expected to look into Apple for unjustly utilising its control over the App Store to harm advertising businesses. The probe has now been publicly disclosed to Apple by the French Competition Authority.

Initially, four French advertising trade organisations filed the case. They contended that Apple unjustly stopped collecting user data, which fueled the advertising sector. An official statement from the French Competition Authority has accused Apple of abusing its dominant position by enforcing discriminatory, subjective, and opaque terms for the use of user information for advertising.

The statement further implied that this investigation opens the contradictory procedure, which also enables the exercise of defence rights. It cannot determine the company’s guilt before receiving notification of complaints. The college will only be able to decide whether or not the complaint is well-founded after exchanging written remarks and after an oral session if the instruction was performed in a conflicting manner with regards to the rights of the enterprise in question.

This is not the first time that Apple has faced issues in regards to its app tracking transparency. Back in May, Italy’s competition watchdog launched an investigation into the App Store’s privacy policies. The legality of Apple imposing stricter privacy rules for third-party apps than it does for its own apps was being questioned.

In the past, Apple was content to let apps freely link ad delivery to website visits using anonymous tracking IDs. This made it possible for developers to charge more for personalised ads within their apps than for generic ones.

With the advent of App Tracking Transparency, this was altered. App developers must now request your consent before tracking you. The apps are not permitted to use that system if you answer no, which is what most people do. Apart from Italy, both France and Germany had also opened antitrust investigations into the company, with the German investigation beginning in June last year.