Ethical Hacking News
Apple has been fined €98.6 million ($116 million) by Italy's antitrust authority for allegedly violating antitrust rules related to its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework. The ruling is the latest in a series of fines and probes faced by Apple over its dominance in the app distribution market.
Italy has fined Apple €98.6 million ($116 million) for allegedly violating antitrust rules related to App Tracking Transparency (ATT). The Italian Competition Authority argues that Apple's dominant position in the app distribution market has led to a lack of transparency and competition when it comes to tracking user data. Apple was accused of "unilaterally imposing" its ATT framework on third-party app developers without consulting them beforehand. The AGCM found that Apple's rules require developers to serve dual permission prompts, which can be a significant burden for smaller app developers. The company has agreed to simplify the consent process and introduce neutral consent prompts for both its own services and third-party apps.
Italy has taken Apple to task, fining the tech giant a whopping €98.6 million ($116 million) for allegedly violating antitrust rules related to its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework. The Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, or AGCM) has ruled that Apple's dominant position in the app distribution market has led to a lack of transparency and competition when it comes to tracking user data for personalized advertising.
According to the AGCM, Apple's ATT framework was introduced in 2021 as a way for mobile apps to seek users' explicit consent before accessing their device's unique advertising identifier. The framework was designed to enhance users' privacy on iOS, but the AGCM has alleged that it has been used by Apple to "unilaterally impose" the rules on third-party app developers, without consulting with them beforehand.
The investigation was launched in May 2023 and found that Apple's ATT rules require developers to serve both ATT- and GDPR-related permission prompts in apps for iPhone and iPad users in the E.U. This means that developers must obtain specific consent for the collection and linking of data for advertising purposes, which can be a significant burden for many smaller app developers.
In contrast, Apple's own apps and services are able to obtain this permission in a single tap. The AGCM has argued that this is unfair to third-party developers, who are forced to double the consent request for the same purpose.
Furthermore, the AGCM has stated that Apple should have ensured the same level of privacy protection for users by allowing developers to obtain consent to profiling in a single "Personalized Advertising" prompt. This would have simplified the consent process and reduced the burden on developers.
Apple has responded to the AGCM's ruling by stating that it will appeal the decision and reiterated its commitment to defending strong privacy protections. The company claims that the rules apply equally to all developers, including Apple itself.
This is not the first time that Apple's ATT framework has come under scrutiny from competition authorities. In March 2025, the company was fined €150 million ($162 million) by France's competition watchdog for using ATT to leverage its dominant market position in mobile app advertising.
Apple is also facing similar probes in Poland and Romania, highlighting the growing concern over the tech giant's dominance in the app distribution market. The company has agreed to introduce neutral consent prompts for both its own services and third-party apps, as well as simplifying the consent process so that developers can obtain user permission in a manner that complies with data protection law.
The AGCM's ruling is a significant development in the ongoing saga over Apple's dominance in the app distribution market. As the tech giant continues to face scrutiny from competition authorities around the world, it remains to be seen how this will impact its business practices and policies going forward.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Apple-Fined-986-Million-for-Antitrust-Violations-Over-App-Tracking-Transparency-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/italy-fines-apple-986-million-over-att.html
Published: Wed Dec 24 20:14:17 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
