Apple ordered to change app data consent prompts on iPhones and iPads

Aug 17, 2026 10:10 PM - 1 hour ago 1

A German regulator accused Apple of giving information consent pop-ups a creation that favored its ain apps.

by Stevie Bonifield

Aug 17, 2026, 3:10 PM UTC

Vector illustration of the Apple logo.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Stevie Bonifield

is a news writer covering each things user tech. Stevie started retired astatine Laptop Mag penning news and reviews connected hardware, gaming, and AI.

Apple’s changing its rules for information postulation consent prompts aft Germany’s Federal Cartel Office accused Apple of giving the prompts a creation that favored its ain apps. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency prompts reportedly cost societal media apps astir $10 billion erstwhile they launched pinch iOS 14.5, making cross-app search of users mostly opt in. But arsenic a designated “gatekeeper” nether the EU’s DMA rules, it is facing further scrutiny complete whether the programme provides a level playing field.

The regulator says the prompts steer users distant from agreeing to fto third-party apps usage their data, while encouraging them to springiness consent for Apple’s apps.

In its preliminary assessment, the Bundeskartellamt considered that the existent creation of the [App Tracking Transparency] punctual steers users towards refusing consent, whereas the creation of the [Personalized Ads] punctual steers them towards giving their consent to the usage of their information for advertizing purposes. Factors that lend to this steering effect see the symbols utilized (for example, a informing manus symbol), different wordings (“app tracking” versus “personalised advertising”), partially ambiguous descriptions of really the information will beryllium used, differences successful the abstraction disposable to explicate the advantages of allowing information use, and the bid successful which the action options are displayed.

A floor plan showing differences successful information consent pop-ups successful iOS and iPadOS

Image: Bundeskartellamt

Apple now has 4 months to update the creation and connection of the consent pop-ups. The projected changes would region discouraging connection and symbols from third-party app pop-ups, for illustration a informing manus icon, and springiness them a much neutral creation akin to the pop-ups for Apple’s apps. Third-party app developers would besides beryllium capable to harvester aliases nexus Apple’s required pop-ups pinch different information postulation consent prompts.

According to Reuters, the changes “would use successful almost each European Union countries.”

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