Apple hit with french watchdog complaint over use of advertising data

Written by Benoit Berthelot and Samuel Stolton

Apple Inc. received A complaint by the French antitrust watchdog over allegations that it imposed unfair conditions on the use of user data in advertising through its app store.

The regulator said on Tuesday that the statement of objection targets Apple’s practices in the app distribution sector. Apple is “accused of abusing its dominant position by applying discriminatory, subjective, and non-transparent terms to the use of user data for advertising purposes.”

Apple faces a slew of investigations from national antitrust investigations as regulators grapple over how to curb Big Tech’s dominance. EU antitrust officials are looking into whether the company has restricted access to its payments tranche. They’re also involved in a long-running investigation into how Apple impeded music streaming companies like Spotify from telling users about out-of-the-App Store deals on competing platforms.

In June last year, Germany’s antitrust watchdog opened an investigation into Apple’s advertising technology, claiming that the company’s terms of use unfairly favored Apple’s own services. In 2021, Apple evaded a French freeze on planned changes to the way it collects iPhone users’ data — but was still facing a deep investigation into whether the measures would harm advertisers.

In 2021, Apple’s privacy push involved users needing to check a box to consent to data collection for so-called advertiser identification. App developers have previously used the system to help target ads to users and track ad performance across devices.

“App Tracking Transparency gives users more control by requiring all apps to ask for permission before tracking them,” said an Apple spokesperson. “We have previously received strong support from regulators and privacy advocates on the ATT target, including from the FCA and CNIL, and we will continue to engage constructively with the FCA to ensure users remain in control of their data.”