German publishers demand fines against Apple over ATT rule tweaks
Leading trade associations in Germany are urging the Federal Cartel Office to reject proposed modifications by tech giant, while simultaneously calling for substantial penalties due to concerns about market competition within digital advertising sectors despite Apple's recent attempts at compromise with German publishers who believe these adjustments fail to address core issues regarding user privacy and fair access across app ecosystems.
Key Points
-
1German publishers, advertisers, and trade associations have united in pressure campaigns against Apple regarding its revised proposals for App Tracking Transparency (ATT).
-
2These groups argue that the proposed changes to ATT are insufficient because they allegedly favor apps owned by or developed with support from major tech companies like Google.
-
3The German competition authority is currently reviewing feedback and weighing how best to respond, potentially rejecting Apple's commitments entirely.
Developments
German publishers and advertisers are urging Germany's competition authority to reject Apple's revised proposals for its App Tracking transparency framework due to concerns that they fail to address antitrust issues. A coalition representing these groups formally rejected December 2025 changes on March 10, arguing the revisions do not remedy negative effects or sufficiently protect targeted advertising business models in Europe.
German advertisers have urged competition authorities in Germany to block changes made by US tech giant, which is currently weighing how it will respond regarding Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework that was found illegal last year. A coalition of publishers and brands argues these proposed revisions do not address the identified concerns about data gatekeeping or favoring American companies over competitors active within mobile advertising ecosystems in Germany
Deutsche Wirtschaftsverbände kritisieren Apples Datenschutzfunktion ATT als unzureichend und fordern das Bundeskartellamt um Bußgelder sowie deren Abschaltung, da sie eine strukturelle Bevorzugung von Apple eigenen Diensten sehen. Das Kartellamt hat bereits untersucht worden sein; Apple verteidigt die Funktion jedoch mit dem Argument des Datenschutzes für Nutzer und behauptet gleichzeitig selbst Einwilligungen zur Werbefunktion zu erhalten.
German advertisers have urged Germany's Federal Cartel Office (FCO) to ban Apple App Tracking Transparency, arguing that recent revisions fail to address competition concerns regarding data gatekeeping and favoring US tech giants. This follows a preliminary finding last year declaring the original ATT framework illegal under German law for its perceived bias against competitors in mobile advertising ecosystems who rely on user tracking revenue models.