Apple could switch off a function that prevents users’ apps from tracking their behavior across various services and websites for advertising purposes in Germany and other European countries.
The tech giant says it’s complained that it has experienced constant headwinds from the tracking industry.
“Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers,” Apple said in a statement to DPA International.
Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency Framework for third-party apps with its updates iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5 in April 2021. ATT allows you to choose whether an app can track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for the purposes of advertising or sharing with data brokers. Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, apps must ask for permission before tracking your activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
Tracking occurs when information that identifies you or your device collected from an app is linked with information that identifies you or your device collected on apps, websites and other locations owned by third parties for the purposes of targeted advertising or advertising measurement, or when the information collected is shared with data brokers.
Since the feature first appeared around five years ago, there has been criticism from the advertising industry and from Meta in particular.
The ATT function is at the centre of several investigations by competition authorities such as Germany’s Cartel Office and Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade). The latter has argued that ATT rules are not applied to the native iPhone applications themselves. However, Apple has stressed that the company’s own apps don’t collect data from apps from other providers.
The company says it’s proposed various solutions to the competition authorities, but hasn’t yet been able to dispel their concerns.However, the Federal Cartel Office criticized the fact that the rules did not prevent the company itself from combining data from the App Store, Apple ID or connected devices and using it for advertising purposes, according to DPA International.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
