Apple Faces £2 Billion Lawsuit in UK Over App Tracking Rules
2 sources across 2 countries · Brazil · South Africa
Who reported this
- CNN Brasil
- Business Day
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- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Apple is facing a lawsuit in London seeking £2 billion in damages over its app tracking rules. The legal action, filed Thursday at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, was brought by app developers who accuse the company of abusing its market power to impose unfair restrictions on third parties. The lawsuit focuses on the App Tracking Transparency feature launched in 2021. Apple has stated that this feature was designed to give users control over whether apps can track their activity across other companies' websites and apps.
Lawyers leading the case, including former Competition and Markets Authority official Ann Pope, argue that the feature imposed stricter requirements on third party developers than on Apple's own services. They claim this gave Apple's own advertising ecosystem a competitive advantage and caused significant harm to businesses that rely on Apple as a gatekeeper. Apple did not immediately comment on the filing, though the company has previously defended the feature as providing important privacy protections.
The App Tracking Transparency framework has faced scrutiny across Europe. In Germany, Apple recently agreed to change rules regarding how developers use personal data for targeted advertising following accusations of market power abuse. Regulators in France, Italy, and Poland have also probed the framework. The tool has been criticized by Meta, various publishers, and advertisers whose business models depend on advertising tracking.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean outlet framed the event as a legal challenge regarding the abuse of power and the balance between privacy and fair competition.
- Centre-right
- The center-right lean outlet framed the event as a matter of unfair restrictions on third party businesses and the resulting financial harm to those companies.
Sources
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