Italy’s competition watchdog has fined Apple 98.6 million euros (around $116 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market through its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- Italy’s AGCM fined Apple $116 million over alleged anti-competitive behavior tied to its ATT privacy rules.
- Regulators say Apple’s policies unfairly burden third-party developers and favor its own services.
- The watchdog claims Apple’s privacy system created disproportionate barriers and limited competition.
- Apple strongly disagrees and plans to appeal, defending ATT as a vital privacy feature for users.
What Happened?
Italy’s Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) launched a probe into Apple in May 2023, focusing on how the ATT privacy feature, introduced in April 2021, impacted app developers. After months of investigation, AGCM concluded that the ATT framework unfairly restricted third-party apps from effectively competing within Apple’s iOS ecosystem.
Italy Fines Apple €98 Million for Alleged Abuse of App Privacy Feature
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) December 22, 2025
Italy’s competition authority on Monday said it had fined US tech giant Apple €98 million ($115 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market. pic.twitter.com/djw0msZ2su
The regulator determined that Apple’s design and implementation of ATT disproportionately affected external developers, while allowing Apple’s own services to operate under less restrictive consent requirements. Apple has firmly rejected the decision and intends to file an appeal.
ATT: Privacy or Power Play?
Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency as part of its push for stronger privacy protections. The system requires all apps to ask users for explicit permission before tracking them across other apps and websites for targeted advertising. While the idea won praise from privacy advocates, it quickly drew criticism from smaller developers and rivals in the advertising space.
The AGCM found that third-party developers had to request user consent twice to remain compliant with European privacy regulations, creating unnecessary friction for users and reducing the effectiveness of ad personalization.
Meanwhile, Apple’s own ad services did not face the same level of consent complexity, raising concerns about discriminatory treatment and self-preferencing within the App Store. The regulator emphasized that this gave Apple a competitive edge in monetization, especially since the App Store is the only available channel for iOS app distribution.
European Pressure Builds
This decision aligns with a broader pattern of scrutiny across Europe. In March, French antitrust authorities imposed a 150 million euro ($162 million) fine on Apple over similar concerns related to ATT and data access for advertising purposes.
According to Italy’s AGCM, while promoting privacy is a legitimate objective, Apple’s ATT policy went beyond what was necessary, hurting developers, advertisers, and ad tech platforms that rely on user data for business models based on targeted advertising.
The investigation involved close coordination with the European Commission and national data protection authorities, underlining the growing regulatory momentum against tech giants in the EU.
Apple’s Defense
In its public response, Apple strongly defended ATT, stating:
Apple added that the feature has been “embraced by our customers and praised by privacy advocates and data protection authorities around the world, including the Garante.” The company contends that the AGCM’s decision overlooks the privacy benefits and instead prioritizes the interests of advertisers and data brokers.
The iPhone maker confirmed it would appeal the ruling and continue defending privacy as a core principle of its user experience.
SQ Magazine’s Takeaway
I get why Apple is standing its ground on privacy, but this case really shows the fine line between protecting users and locking down competition. While ATT sounds like a good move for user privacy, it’s hard to ignore that it might also help Apple keep more control over the ad game. Requiring third-party developers to go through extra hurdles while giving yourself a smoother ride just doesn’t sit right. It’s like making the rules and then not fully following them. I’ll be keeping a close eye on how this plays out in the courts, but the message from regulators is loud and clear. Even privacy can’t be a smokescreen for squeezing out the competition.
