After several years of anti-monopoly investigations by European regulatory authorities such as Germany's Federal Competition Authority, Apple has agreed to modify its authorization prompts for applications on its platform when requesting cross-application and cross-web tracking of users. The adjustments mainly apply to the EU market and do not involve canceling the authorization requirements themselves.

Regulatory authorities believe that Apple's current App Tracking Transparency ( ATT ) mechanism is more stringent for third-party apps, while Apple's own apps can directly utilize user data within its ecosystem without having to use the same authorization pop-ups. This has led to doubts that the ATT mechanism is actually biased in favor of Apple's own business in practice.

EU developers can use an alternative version of the pop-up.

According to a new arrangement reached between Apple and some European competition regulators, apps distributed in the EU region will be able to use an alternative version of the authorization interface. The new version still requires consent from users before tracking them, but developers can adjust the layout and wording of the prompt page and add links to explain to users why this permission is being requested.

Apple's compliance adjustments this time involve multiple changes, with the goal of reducing the sense of oppression in the prompt interface.

• The pop-up has been changed to a full-screen page, rather than the traditional pop-up box.
• Remove the word "tracking" from the copywriting.
• The option buttons have been changed to "Allow" and "Deny".

Previously, the common options for ATT were "Allow" and "Request that the app does not track." The new version further simplifies the wording. Apple will also adjust the colors and layout, and allow developers to provide more detailed information through clickable links, explaining the purpose of the data and the reasons for the request.

Available only in some European countries for now.

Apple stated that, due to legal requirements, this alternative system prompt is currently only applicable to applications distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania. In other words, not all European markets will adopt the same version simultaneously.

In addition to interface changes, Apple will also allow developers targeting EU users to submit authorization requests again one year after the user made their last ATT choice. This means that developers will be able to seek user consent again after a longer period in the future.

The advertising business has been significantly affected.

Users usually opt to refuse tracking in the ATT prompt, which directly affects application companies that rely on personalized advertising for monetization. The report mentions that such changes are particularly important for advertising-driven enterprises like Meta, as a higher authorization rate generally means stronger targeted advertising capabilities and higher ad revenue.

Since its introduction, ATT has always been a significant point of contention between Apple, advertising platforms, app developers, and European regulatory authorities. This adjustment does not change Apple's fundamental requirement for user authorization, but under the pressure of EU regulations, Apple has begun to relax the manner in which third-party apps make authorization requests.