Apple Agrees to Make 'App Tracking Transparency' Changes in Germany

Apple has agreed to make changes to its App Tracking Transparency feature in Germany, according to the country's competition regulator. Since the release of iOS 14.5 in April 2021, Apple has required apps to ask for permission before tracking a user's activity across other apps and websites for personalized advertising. If a user selects the "Ask App Not to Track" option, the app is unable to access the device's advertising identifier. Apple says the feature is designed to enhance user privacy, but some advertisers have complained that it has significantly impacted their revenue. In Germany, Apple has agreed to remove "possibly discouraging symbols and wording" from the App Tracking Transparency prompt, the regulator said. Apps will also be "given more scope to explain to users what significance personalized advertising has for their offering and their business model," and the "freedom to combine the consent request required by Apple with the consent requests required under data protection law." Apple has four months starting on the date it is formally served with the decision to implement the changes in Germany, and it will test them with app developers first, the regulator said. The changes will apply for seven years. Over the past few years, Apple has faced similar regulatory pressures over the App Tracking Transparency feature in other EU countries, such as France, Italy, and Poland, and from the overarching European Commission. Apple has maintained that App Tracking Transparency protects user privacy and is compliant with competition law in Germany. Nevertheless, it agreed to make the changes, and the regulator said the proceedings have thus concluded. Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts. Popular StoriesiPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release DateApple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the...What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and MoreThursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by Juli CloverApple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by Juli CloverFor the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...