France fines Apple 150 million euros, questions raised about data privacy

France's Competition Authority (FCA) has imposed a hefty fine of 150 million euros (about $162 million) on Apple. Apple is alleged to have exploited its iOS and iPadOS app distribution system from April 2021 to July 2023.

The FCA, after investigation, determined that Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework was not wrong in its intention, but the enforcement was overly stringent and unpredictable. The framework offers users of the iPhone and the iPad the opportunity to consent to being tracked, and thus their privacy is maintained.

However, the French authority is of the view that this system was not neutral and was hurting the small publishers. In fact, this system binds the app developers from the third party with stricter rules of data collection, while Apple imposes less stringent conditions for its advertising campaigns.

Apple expressed disappointment over this decision and said that the purpose of the ATT framework is only to give more control to the users. The company claims that this system is the same for all developers, including Apple itself. Also, this feature has received support from consumers, data protection organizations, and privacy advocates around the world.

FCA says that the system of Apple complicated the process of obtaining consent, making it difficult for users to understand it. At the same time, small app developers, who cover their expenses through advertising, suffered more losses.

This decision of France is considered an important step towards balancing the influence of big companies like Apple in the digital market. Although Apple has not been forced to make any major changes immediately by this decision, this case points to bigger changes in the future.