Apple will let EU apps use less alarming tracking consent screens

Apple has agreed to modify its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requirements for apps distributed in the EU, following a multi-year antitrust probe by Germany’s federal competition regulator and other European authorities, TechCrunch reports.

Regulators said ATT favored Apple over third-party apps because Apple allows its own apps to use consumer data from its ecosystem without requiring the same consent screen. The agreements do not remove the need to ask users for permission or change when the prompt appears.

Instead, eligible developers can show an alternative consent screen with different formatting and language, plus a link to additional information explaining why tracking permission is requested. Apple’s compliance includes over half-a-dozen changes intended to make the screens less alarming. They can appear as full-page screens rather than pop-ups, omit the word “track,” and use “Allow” and “Reject” instead of “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track.”

Because of legal requirements, only the alternative prompt will be available to apps distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania. Apple will also let developers ask EU users again one year after their previous ATT choice. The company says the prompts protect privacy, while developers use consent for personalized advertising.