- India,
- 31-Mar-2025 06:20 PM IST
Apple Fine France: France's competition regulator has imposed a hefty fine of 150 million euros (about Rs 13,88,04,00,000) on Apple, the leading US company that makes iPhones and iPads. This fine has been imposed for allegedly abusing dominance in mobile application distribution for iOS and iPad devices between April 2021 and July 2023.What are the allegations against Apple?
According to France's competition regulator, the main purpose of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework was to involve users in the process of consenting to data collection by third-party apps. However, the investigation found that this process was open to criticism rather than transparency.Regulator's decision and order to change the toolInterestingly, the French regulator did not order Apple to make any changes to its ATT tool. According to the regulator, "The way Apple implemented this for mobile and iPad users was neither mandatory nor consistent with the company's stated data protection objectives."Under ATT, iPhone and iPad users are allowed to decide which apps can track their activity. But this policy has been criticized by online advertising companies and other competitors, as it gives Apple a major advantage.Who complained against the company?The case was started on the basis of complaints from online advertisers, publishers and many companies related to internet networks. They alleged that Apple abused its market power and weakened the competition. On the basis of these allegations, France's competition regulator imposed a heavy fine on the company.Apple's responseApple has expressed disappointment over this decision and said that it disagrees with this fine of the French regulator. However, the company also clarified that it does not see the need for any major changes in its privacy control tool.This case has become an important part of the ongoing global debate about the balance between the growing influence of tech companies and data protection rules. It will be interesting to see what steps Apple takes against this decision and how other countries react to it.
According to France's competition regulator, the main purpose of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework was to involve users in the process of consenting to data collection by third-party apps. However, the investigation found that this process was open to criticism rather than transparency.Regulator's decision and order to change the toolInterestingly, the French regulator did not order Apple to make any changes to its ATT tool. According to the regulator, "The way Apple implemented this for mobile and iPad users was neither mandatory nor consistent with the company's stated data protection objectives."Under ATT, iPhone and iPad users are allowed to decide which apps can track their activity. But this policy has been criticized by online advertising companies and other competitors, as it gives Apple a major advantage.Who complained against the company?The case was started on the basis of complaints from online advertisers, publishers and many companies related to internet networks. They alleged that Apple abused its market power and weakened the competition. On the basis of these allegations, France's competition regulator imposed a heavy fine on the company.Apple's responseApple has expressed disappointment over this decision and said that it disagrees with this fine of the French regulator. However, the company also clarified that it does not see the need for any major changes in its privacy control tool.This case has become an important part of the ongoing global debate about the balance between the growing influence of tech companies and data protection rules. It will be interesting to see what steps Apple takes against this decision and how other countries react to it.