Maya Robertson
German media organizations and advertising groups are calling on the country’s competition authority to reject Apple’s proposed revisions to its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework and impose financial penalties on the company, arguing that the changes do not address competition concerns in the mobile advertising market.
As reported by Reuters, the request was made in a joint statement submitted to Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) as part of an ongoing consultation on Apple’s proposed adjustments to ATT. The framework, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires iOS apps to obtain user permission before tracking activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes.
In response to scrutiny from German regulators, Apple proposed several changes to the system in late 2025. These included introducing neutral consent prompts for both Apple’s own services and third-party applications and aligning the wording, design, and structure of permission messages.
The company also suggested simplifying the consent process so that developers could request user approval for advertising-related data processing while remaining compliant with data protection regulations.
However, associations representing German publishers, media agencies and advertisers argue that these adjustments fail to resolve the core issues raised by regulators.
In a letter submitted to the competition authority, the groups said the proposed commitments would not change the underlying impact of the ATT framework on the digital advertising ecosystem.
According to Bernd Nauen, chief executive of the German Advertising Federation, Apple would continue to control access to advertising-related data even after implementing the changes. The organizations argue that this would allow the company to maintain its role as a gatekeeper between publishers and advertising data.
Germany’s competition authority began examining Apple’s ATT system amid concerns that the feature could distort competition in the mobile advertising market. Critics, including publishers, app developers and advertising companies, argue that the framework limits their ability to track users across apps while Apple’s own ecosystem retains advantages.
Companies reliant on targeted advertising have said that restrictions introduced by ATT have significantly affected ad measurement and campaign optimization.
Apple, meanwhile, has consistently defended the feature as a privacy tool designed to give users greater control over how their data is used. The company maintains that users should have the option to decide whether apps can track their activity across other services.
If the Bundeskartellamt ultimately determines that Apple has abused its market position, the company could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue under German competition rules.
Industry groups are also urging the regulator to require Apple to suspend the current implementation of ATT until the concerns raised during the investigation are addressed.
The outcome of the German case may also influence similar regulatory discussions elsewhere in Europe, where Apple’s privacy features and their impact on advertising markets remain under review.
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