Technology
Apple faces 2 billion pound UK lawsuit over App Tracking Transparency rules
A former British antitrust regulator has filed a class-action suit alleging the company misused its market dominance to harm app developers.
The short version
- A former senior UK regulatory official filed a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit against Apple at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal.
- The suit alleges Apple abused its gatekeeper market position through its App Tracking Transparency framework to impose unfair conditions on third-party developers.
- This marks the third complaint against Apple concerning its app tracking policies before the UK tribunal, with the outcome and potential damages yet to be determined.
Key facts
- A £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit was filed against Apple at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of app developers.[9to5Mac]
- The lawsuit is led by Ann Pope, a former senior official with the UK Competition and Markets Authority, who alleges Apple caused significant financial harm to businesses relying on its ecosystem.[9to5Mac]
- This action is the third legal challenge brought against Apple regarding its App Tracking Transparency feature at the Competition Appeal Tribunal; Apple is appealing an earlier loss and contesting another ongoing case.[9to5Mac]
- Apple maintains that its privacy rules apply consistently, stating that its proprietary apps do not show the tracking prompt because they do not harvest the relevant tracking data.[9to5Mac]