Italy fines Apple $115M over app tracking rules

Italian authorities on Monday fined US technology giant Apple $115 million for abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market. 

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) imposed the fine, AFP reported.

In a statement, the watchdog said Apple violated privacy rules affecting third-party app developers by unfairly enforcing its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework.

According to the authority, Apple unilaterally applied the ATT rules in a way that harmed the commercial interests of its business partners.

Earlier this year, France’s antitrust regulator fined Apple $176 million over similar violations related to app-tracking privacy.

Several other European regulators have also launched investigations into ATT, which Apple promotes as a measure to protect user privacy.

Introduced in 2021, ATT requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up notification before tracking activity across other apps and websites.

Source: AFP