A German regulator says Apple will make changes to ATT, after finding Apple gave its apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers (Reuters) | SpinGraph: Regulatory blame shift
SpinGraph analysis of Techmeme's A German regulator says Apple will make changes to ATT, after finding Apple gave its apps more favorable consent prompts than …
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A German regulator says Apple will make changes to ATT, after finding Apple gave its apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers (Reuters)
App Tracking Transparency, Federal Cartel Office, self-preferencing, iOS privacy
German antitrust regulator found Apple discriminated in ATT consent prompt design Apple agreed to change its rules governing third-party use of personal data for ads The decision reinforces regulatory scrutiny of platform self-preferencing in privacy controls
Emphasizes Apple’s cooperation and willingness to change; minimizes Apple’s role in designing and deploying the discriminatory system in the first place.
Apple as accountable platform steward responding appropriately to legitimate oversight.
Apple agreed to change its App Tracking Transparency rules after German regulators found it gave its own apps preferential consent prompts.
No description of Apple’s internal rationale for differential prompt design; No mention of prior complaints from developers or timing of Apple’s awareness
It combines regulatory authority (Federal Cartel Office citation) with passive, cooperative language ('will make changes') to signal legitimacy and control, making Apple’s structural conflict feel like a correctable oversight rather than an inherent design risk—despite offering no evidence of how deeply the changes address root causes or prevent recurrence.
Apple gave its apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers under ATT.
A German regulator says Apple will make changes to ATT, after finding Apple gave its apps more favorable consent prompts than those of third-party developers
Extracted statistics from the source narrative
Decision announced in April 2024 following investigation launched in 2023