Apple fined over $160 million by French antitrust regulator, here’s why

Apple has been fined 150 million Euros ($162 million) by France’s antitrust regulator for abusing its dominant position in the distribution of mobile applications on iOS and iPadOS devices. The French Competition Authority found that Apple’s implementation of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, while aimed at protecting user privacy, was neither necessary nor proportionate to its stated objectives.

The ATT framework requires users to consent to data collection by third-party applications, but the regulator criticised the way it was implemented, stating that it unfairly restricted competition. Smaller publishers and advertisers, who rely heavily on third-party data collection, were particularly affected by Apple’s practices.