Apple Modifies Tracking Consent Screens in Five EU Countries Following Antitrust Probes
Following antitrust probes, Apple will require an alternative App Tracking Transparency prompt for developers in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania. The full-page screen removes “track,” changes buttons to “Allow” and “Reject,” and permits annual re-prompts.
Apple announced in 2026 that it will allow app developers in select European Union countries to display modified tracking consent screens, following a multi-year antitrust investigation by Germany’s federal competition regulator and other European authorities.
The changes apply to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) system, which requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking them across other apps or websites. Regulators determined that the existing system favored Apple over third-party developers, because Apple permits its own apps to use consumer data from its ecosystem without displaying a consent screen.
Under the new agreements, app developers distributing software in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania will be required to use an alternative version of the ATT prompt. Apple says the modified screens are designed to be less alarming to users and include several changes: consent requests will appear as full-page screens rather than pop-ups; the word “track” will be removed; button labels will change from “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track” to “Allow” and “Reject”; and colors and formatting will be adjusted. Developers will also be able to include a clickable link providing users with more detailed information about how their data is used and why it is being requested.
Additionally, Apple will allow developers in the EU to re-prompt users once per year after their previous ATT consent choice.
The changes carry real business implications. Users have historically responded to ATT prompts by declining tracking, which reduces the effectiveness of personalized advertising and hurts ad-supported businesses. Apple, meanwhile, has continued to serve personalized ads based on data collected through its own ecosystem.
Apple maintains that the ATT system protects consumer privacy. The modified prompts will be the only version available to apps distributed in the five named EU countries, due to local legal requirements.