Apple adjusts App Tracking Transparency prompt in the EU after competition concerns

Background: the Bundeskartellamt's preliminary view

According to analyses cited by financial portal finanzen.ch, the Bundeskartellamt's preliminary finding has been corroborated across multiple sources, and discussions between Apple and the authority have continued since. Apple's shares have been among the more actively traded US tech names in recent sessions, with several daily price moves recorded on finanzen.ch over the past two weeks.

The prompt itself is one of the most visible privacy features on Apple's mobile operating system. When users open certain apps, they are shown a system-level dialog asking whether the app may "track" them, that is, combine their data with data from other companies. Under Apple's previous design, the default answer effectively required apps to ask users for permission before any cross-app tracking could occur.

Critics, including some advertisers and app developers, have argued that the original wording disadvantaged third-party publishers while leaving Apple's own advertising platforms relatively unaffected. The Bundeskartellamt's preliminary assessment appeared to echo those concerns, although the authority has not yet issued a final decision and Apple has not been found to have infringed any rule.

What the prompt actually does

The European Commission has separately scrutinised Apple's compliance with the Digital Markets Act, which designates certain large platforms as "gatekeepers" subject to specific obligations. While ATT is primarily a privacy feature, the Commission's DMA work has sometimes intersected with competition questions about how Apple treats rival apps on its platform.

Apple has cooperated with the Bundeskartellamt's proceedings and has made the prompt change available across EU member states, not only in Germany or Poland, where reporting has focused. The company has not commented publicly on the substance of the preliminary finding.

What happens next for Apple and developers

For users, the practical change is subtle: the dialog still asks whether tracking is allowed, but the framing and options now appear to be more neutral. Developers will need to update their app interfaces to align with the new prompt, and any app that does not comply risks being rejected from the App Store.

The Bundeskartellamt's procedure remains open. A final decision, if it goes against Apple, could include binding remedies or fines, but the authority has stressed that its February 2025 view was preliminary and subject to further investigation.

Industry observers note that the case is being watched closely by other large platforms operating in Europe, as it could set a precedent for how system-level privacy prompts are designed and how much discretion gatekeepers retain over the wording their users see.