Apple faces $2.7 billion U.K. lawsuit over app tracking rules
Apple is facing a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class-action lawsuit in the United Kingdom, alleging that its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework unfairly favors Apple's own advertising business while imposing stricter consent requirements on third-party apps. The claim was filed at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal by ATT Collective Action Limited and led by Ann Pope, a former senior director for antitrust at the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority. The lawsuit argues that Apple tilted the competitive landscape in its favor through inconsistent enforcement of tracking rules—imposing double-consent requirements on third-party apps while applying lighter obligations to its own data collection. This has allegedly harmed app developers who rely heavily on user-tracking for revenue generation, especially those using targeted advertising models. This case follows similar regulatory scrutiny across Europe, including fines in Italy and France totaling over €248 million against Apple related to the ATT framework. The U.K. lawsuit is part of a broader trend targeting major tech firms at the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
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Topics: Antitrust App Tracking Transparency Apple U.K. lawsuit