Apple changes rules for notifications regarding personalized ads displayed within apps.
On August 17, 2026, local time,
Bundeskartellamt - Homepage - Apple changes its rules for personalized advertising in apps
https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2026/08_17_2026_Apple_ATTF.html
Consent requests for the use of user data for advertising purposes in apps
Apple revises its ATTF
https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Publikation/EN/PressReleases/Apple_ATTF_FAQ.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5
Apple Agrees to Make 'App Tracking Transparency' Changes in Germany - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/17/apple-app-tracking-transparency-changes-germany/
Apple has to update App Tracking Transparency for Germany
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/08/17/how-german-regulators-are-cracking-down-on-app-tracking-transparency
Apple to change app data consent rules, German regulator says | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/apple-change-app-data-consent-rules-german-regulator-says-2026-08-17/
With iOS 14.5, released by Apple in April 2021, the company enabled ' App Tracking Transparency (ATT) ,' which requires users to ask for permission before tracking them or sharing their data for advertising purposes. If a user selects the 'Ask apps not to track me' option in ATT, apps will not be able to access the device's advertising identifier.
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Apple explains that ATT is designed to enhance user privacy, but some advertisers have expresseddissatisfaction , saying it has a significant impact on their revenue.
The German regulatory body, the Federal Cartel Office, announced that Apple has agreed to change its rules regarding ATTs (Attention-Touchers) and remove 'symbols and wording that could alienate users' from ATT notifications. App developers will also be given 'room to explain to users what personalized advertising means to their services and business models' and 'the freedom to combine Apple's required consent requirements with those required by data protection laws.'
The ATTF now includes 'rules for third-party app providers regarding data usage on iPhone and iPad.' In certain inter-company data usage scenarios, third-party app providers must obtain additional consent through Apple's predefined prompts, in addition to user consent under data protection laws. However, the ATTF does not apply to Apple's own services, and since Apple uses user data from its own ecosystem, it can independently create prompts to request user consent for personalized advertising.
The Federal Cartel Office, judging this to be an imbalance in market competition, demanded that Apple change its rules. Although Apple maintained that the ATTF complied with German competition law, it ultimately accepted the Federal Cartel Office's proposal. Apple is also reportedly facing similar regulatory pressure regarding the ATTF from EU countries such as France, Italy, and Poland, as well as from the European Commission, the EU's policy-making body.
Apple has also released a statement to MacRumors regarding the rules it added to the ATTF under pressure from the Federal Cartel Office, saying: 'Apple believes privacy is a fundamental human right, and by introducing the ATT, we made it easy for users to control whether or not they give apps permission to track their activity on other apps and websites. We believe the current ATT prompt is a clear, understandable, and effective way for users to take control of their own data, and the German data protection authorities share this view. However, at the request of the FCO (Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Cartel Office), we have agreed to change the text and format of the prompt. Through these efforts, Apple will continue to provide this important privacy tool (ATT) in Europe, allowing users, not advertising technology companies or data brokers, to take control of their own data.'
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in Software, Smartphone, Posted by logu_ii