The French competition authority fined Apple 150 million euros

The French Competition Authority announced on March 31 a fine of 150 million euros against Apple of the United States for abusing its dominant position in targeted advertising on devices.

The French competition authority said in a press release that Apple's "app tracking transparency" mechanism, launched in April 2021 with the stated goal of protecting personal data, was implemented in a way that was "neither necessary nor appropriate". The mechanism is suspected of favoring Apple's own services at the expense of third-party apps.

The mechanism overcomplicates the process of using third-party apps on iphones and ipads, shows Apple's "asymmetrical" treatment of its own apps and third-party apps, and is particularly harmful to small app publishers.

The French competition authority said the penalty was for violations committed by Apple between April 2021 and July 2023. In addition to the fine, Apple is required to post a summary of the penalty decision on its website for seven consecutive days.

After the French Competition Authority announced its decision against Apple, trade associations representing various players in online advertising issued a joint statement welcoming the decision. "This decision marks a major victory for the 9,000 companies in the online media and advertising ecosystem, as well as all other players in the mobile ecosystem whose revenues, business models, and strategies have been severely impacted by Apple's machinery," the statement said.