Accused Of Competitors' Loss, Apple Application Tracking Features Can Be Withdrawn From Europe

Apple may have to pull the ATT feature from Europe (photo: dock. Apple)

JAKARTA Apple said that it would disable its main privacy feature, namely App Tracking Transparency (ATT), in Europe. This is done because of the 'intensive lobbying efforts' of certain parties.

The ATT feature was introduced in May 2021 to give users control over tracking their activity across apps and websites. Once this feature was released, cross-app tracking managed to decline sharply.

After the ATT was implemented, one study noted that the decline in tracking rates reached 54.7 percent in the US. However, this capability has actually received an unfavorable reaction, particularly from online advertising companies, including Meta.

Several companies and business groups took the issue to court and regulatory bodies. They accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior through the application of the ATT feature.

Apple also voiced his disapproval. In a statement to the German News Agency, launching from 9to5mac, Apple voiced concerns and accused a third party of pressure.

"Intensive lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe could force us to withdraw this feature, which is detrimental to European consumers," Apple said, quoted on Friday, October 24.

This pressure comes to light after the German Federal Cartel Office concluded that ATT has the potential to be anti-competitive in its initial assessment. Regulators also argue that Apple does not apply the same privacy standards to its own apps.

Apple strongly denies the anti-competitive accusations. The tech giants claim that they set privacy standards significantly higher than those demanded by third-party developers.

"Apple (...) set higher standards than required from any third-party developer by giving users firm choices whether they want personalized ads or not," Apple said.

Although there is a possibility that ATT will disappear from Europe, Apple promises to continue to strive to maintain this feature in Europe in order to protect users. Apple also admits that it will continue to urge relevant authorities to allow Apple to provide the feature.