Apple Faces $2.7 Billion UK Lawsuit Over App Tracking Rules
Synopsis
Apple is sued for $2.7 billion in London over claims its app tracking rules unfairly favored its own advertising business over third-party developers.
Key Highlights
- Apple is sued for £2 billion ($2.7 billion) by a London court over its App Tracking Transparency feature
- The lawsuit alleges that Apple holds third-party app developers to stricter tracking policies than its own services.
- The lawsuit was brought in the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London on behalf of app developers.
- Last month Apple reached an agreement on changes to the way its tracking feature is presented in Germany amidst scrutiny over its rules.
Lawsuit Targets Apple’s Tracking Rules
Scotland Financial A £2 billion lawsuit against Apple in London on behalf of the app developer over App Tracking Transparency rules Accused of using market power. Filed Thursday with London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, the suit comes after years of regulatory interest in the tool that Apple first rolled out in 2021.
Apple has said the feature was designed to give users control over whether apps can track their activity across apps and websites owned by other companies. But the lawyers behind the new lawsuit say Apple imposed tougher conditions on third-party app developers and thereby further enhanced its own advertising business at their expense.
Lawsuit Says Businesses Would Suffer ‘Serious Irreparable Harm’
The policy is a really significant closed gate which causes damage to businesses reliant on Apple as a gateway, said Ann Pope, who led the case and was formerly senior director of anti-trust enforcement at Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority. The lawsuit aims to safeguard the interests of British businesses that rely on Apple, help ensure it applies rules fairly, and give firms compensation for losses.
Wider Scrutiny in Europe
Investigations into Apple’s App Tracking Transparency function span Europe and have been particularly keen in Germany, where Apple this month agreed to change its terms for how app developers can use people’s data for targeted ads. Apple, whose tool had also been roundly criticized from Meta as well as other publishers, advertisers and app developers who rely on advertising tracking, was accused of abusing its market position by Germany’s competition authority.
Source: Reuters
At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
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