In 2021, Apple dodged a French freeze on planned changes to the way it collects iPhone users’ data — but it was still facing an in-depth probe into whether the measures would harm advertisers. (AP)

French Authorities File Complaint Against Apple Over Advertising Data Practices

The French antitrust watchdog has filed a complaint against Apple Inc., accusing the company of enforcing unjust terms for utilizing user data in advertising on its app store.

The statement of objections targets Apple’s practices in the app distribution industry, the regulator said on Tuesday. Apple is accused of abusing its dominant position by implementing discriminatory, non-objective and non-transparent conditions for the use of user data for advertising purposes.

Apple faces numerous national antitrust investigations as regulators struggle to curb Big Tech’s dominance. EU competition authorities are investigating whether the company has restricted access to the payment chip. They are also involved in a long-running investigation into how Apple may have prevented music streaming companies like Spotify from telling users about offers from competing platforms outside the app store.

In June of last year, Germany’s competition authority opened an investigation into Apple’s advertising technology, claiming that the company’s terms of service unfairly favored Apple’s own services. In 2021, Apple avoided a French freeze on planned changes to the way it collects data on iPhone users – but it still faced an in-depth investigation into whether the measures would harm advertisers.

In 2021, Apple’s privacy measures included the need for users to tick a box to consent to the collection of data for its so-called identification purposes for advertisers. Application developers have traditionally used the system to target ads to users and monitor the effectiveness of ads on different devices.

“App Tracking Transparency gives users more control by requiring all apps to ask permission before tracking them,” an Apple spokesperson said. “We have previously received strong support for the ATT’s goal from regulators and data protection advocates, including the FCA and CNIL, and we will continue to work with the FCA to ensure that users are in control of their data.”