Apple changes EU iPhone tracking prompt as German antitrust probe ends
Apple is rolling out a revised App-Tracking Transparency prompt in Germany and most EU countries after the Bundeskartellamt closed its investigation, with France and Italy having fined the company €150m and €98.6m over the original design.
Apple is rolling out a revised App-Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt for iPhone users in Germany and most other EU countries after the Bundeskartellamt closed its investigation into the feature, Handelsblatt reports. France and Italy fined Apple €150m and €98.6m respectively over the original design.
What changed
The new dialog removes the word “Tracking” from the user-facing screen. The buttons are reversed and relabelled: “Erlauben” (Allow) now appears on top and “Verbieten” (Prohibit) on the bottom, the German business daily reports.
App publishers can ask users again for permission after one year. The revised prompt is shown only to users physically located in the EU, regardless of where their account is registered.
Why the probe closed
The Bundeskartellamt ended its investigation after Apple aligned its own and third-party prompts more closely, removed deterrent wording and symbols, and gave publishers more space to explain personalised advertising, according to Handelsblatt. Apple developed the changes with the German authority, other European competition authorities and the European Commission.
Poland is on a separate implementation timeline and Apple is still working with the Polish competition authority.
Recent fines
| Authority | Country | Fine | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| French competition authority | France | €150m | March 2025 |
| AGCM | Italy | €98.6m | December 2025 |
| Source: Handelsblatt | |||
The rollout continues across most EU member states; Poland's timeline remains unclear.
