Apple can't seem to catch a breather when it comes to a veritable onslaught of recent antitrust investigations, especially in the EU. Now, Polish authorities are accusing Apple of bypassing its own App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules to show personalized ads on platforms such as the App Store by leveraging app tracking data without user consent.
Poland's antitrust watchdog, the UOKiK, is now investigating Apple for supposedly bypassing its own App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules
Reuters is now reporting that Poland's anti-monopoly watchdog, the UOKiK, has initiated a formal investigation against Apple for supposedly subverting its own ATT rules to deliver personalized ads on its bespoke platforms, including the App Store.
Under the ATT framework, Apple attaches an anonymized identifier - bereft of personal details - to each device. Third-party app developers can then seek consent from users to track their activity using this identifier.
However, the Polish antitrust watchdog now contends that Apple does not seek such consent under the ATT framework from users for its own apps and platforms. The contention is quite simple: if Apple's bespoke apps and platforms, including the App Store, are not subject to the ATT framework, the Cupertino giant can theoretically use the anonymized identifier to display personalized ads to users, that too without the hassle of seeking outright consent.
According to UOKiK President, Tomasz Chrostny, this situation potentially increases "Apple’s competitive advantage over independent publishers."
Apple, however, has responded with some bite, blaming the data tracking industry for the latest onslaught, and warning that it might be forced to remove the ATT framework in its entirety in the EU, to the detriment of the bloc's privacy-conscious users.
Do note that Apple has previously clarified that it does not misuse the anonymized device identifier to display personalized ads on its bespoke apps and platforms. Nonetheless, the Polish authorities appear skeptical, and so do their counterparts in Germany, Italy, and Romania, all of whom have already launched separate investigations into the tech giant's supposed use of app tracking data.
In the EU, Apple has already been designated a "gatekeeper" under the Union's Digital Market Act. The designation signifies that a particular entity has enough market dominance to block competition. Under the ensuing remedies, the EU has forced the tech giant to allow third-party app stores on its devices. Apple has also modified the terms for app developers in the EU, allowing those who enrolled in the modified program to pay a lower percentage of their overall app-derived revenue to the Cupertino giant.
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