Polish antitrust watchdog probes Apple over privacy rules
Poland’s antitrust authority, UOKiK, has launched an investigation into Apple, questioning whether its privacy policies restrict competition in the mobile advertising market.
The focus is on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, introduced with iOS 14.5 and later versions. UOKiK suspects that the policy may limit third-party apps’ ability to collect user data for personalized ads while potentially benefiting Apple’s own advertising services, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
"We suspect that the ATT policy may have misled users about the level of privacy protection while simultaneously increasing Apple’s competitive advantage over independent publishers," UOKiK President Tomasz Chrostny said. "Such practices may constitute an abuse of dominant position."
If found in violation, Apple could face fines of up to 10% of its annual turnover in Poland.
Apple defended its framework, stating it was designed to give users control over whether companies can track their activity, helping safeguard privacy. The company added:
"It is no surprise that the data tracking industry continues to oppose our efforts to give users back control over their data. Intense pressure could force us to withdraw this feature, to the detriment of European consumers."
Apple said it will cooperate with UOKiK to ensure the ATT framework remains available to users.
The ATT policy has also drawn scrutiny from regulators in Germany, Italy, and Romania, and in March, France imposed a €150 million ($172.86 million) fine on Apple over similar concerns.
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