Apple’s proposed changes to its app tracking regulations do not help solve the antitrust problem in the mobile advertising market, associations representing German publishers and advertisers said on Tuesday, asking the country’s antitrust authority to impose a fine on the U.S. tech giant.
The call by the groups, media agencies, and the German Association of the Branded Goods Industry came three months after the German antitrust authority sought their feedback on Apple’s changes to its App Tracking Transparency tool. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement.
The Cupertino, California-based company has indicated that the tool, which enables users to block advertisers who track them across various applications, is meant to enable users to control their privacy.
It, however, led to backlash by Facebook-owner Meta Platforms, opens new tab, publishers, advertisers, and app developers, whose business models depend on advertising tracking, and Apple was charged by the German competition enforcer with the abuse of market power in February last year.
In response to the German issues, Apple offered last December to implement a neutral consent status on both its services and third-party applications and to synchronize the text, content, and visual design of these messages.
It also promised to streamline the consent procedures to enable the developers to gain user permission to the processing of advertising-related data in a manner that met the requirements of data protection law.
The associations claimed that the suggested changes do not address the problems that were raised by the German watchdog.
Bernd Nauen, Chief Executive of the German Advertising Federation, said in a joint letter signed by the trade bodies, “The proposed commitments would not change the negative effects of the App Tracking Transparency Framework.”
He added, “Apple would remain the data gatekeeper and would continue to decide who gets access to advertising-relevant data and how companies can communicate with their end customers.”
The associations requested the watchdog to disapprove of Apple’s proposals, direct the company to cease the app tracking tool, and fine it. Firms that are convicted of violating the regulations of antitrust in Germany are fined up to 10 percent of their annual revenue.
