Apple faces fresh scrutiny in Germany over app tracking rules

An association representing German publishers, advertisers and media agencies have now rejected Apple’s proposed changes to its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool as reported by Reuters.

The association said that the revisions made by Apple fail to resolve antitrust concerns.

In a joint statement the group has asked Germany’s antitrust authority to impose a fine on Apple, saying that the company continues to act as a ‘data gatekeeper’.

Apple’s proposal

For the uninitiated, Apple introduced ATT in 2021 which enable users to block advertisers from tracking them across apps. While the company insists that the tool helps in protecting the privacy of the user but critics including Meta, publishers and app developers believe that it undermines advertising-based business models.

As per the Reuters report, in order address German regulators’ concerns, Apple proposed last December to introduce neutral consent prompts for both its own services and third-party apps, align the wording and design of consent messages, and simplify the process for developers to obtain user permission.

Publisher’s response to Apple’s proposal

The associations including the German Advertising Federation and the German Association of the Branded Goods Industry are of the opinion that Apple’s commitments do not fix the underlying issues.

“The proposed commitments would not change the negative effects of the App Tracking Transparency Framework,” said Bernd Nauen, chief executive of the German Advertising Federation. He added that Apple would still decide who gets access to advertising-relevant data and how companies can communicate with customers.Germany’s competition watchdog charged Apple with abusing its market power in February 2025. Companies found guilty of breaching antitrust rules in Germany risk fines of up to 10% of annual turnover. The associations are now pressing regulators to reject Apple’s proposals, order the company to stop using ATT, and impose penalties.