Apple Fined $232 Million CAD in France: Here’s What Happened

Apple was slapped with a €150 million ($232.32 million CAD or $162.4 million USD) fine in France on Monday after the country’s antitrust watchdog concluded that the tech giant’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool unfairly hinders third-party advertisers on iOS — reports Bloomberg.

This marks the first time a competition regulator has taken action against ATT. The French Competition Authority has been investigating the tool since 2023.

Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency as a privacy feature back in 2021. The tool gives iOS users control over which apps can track them across other companies’ apps and websites and collect their data for advertising purposes.

“While the objective pursued by ATT is not in itself open to criticism, the way it is implemented is neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple’s stated objective of protecting personal data,” the French Competition Authority said in a statement.

ATT launched to significant outcry from rival advertisers, who found it made it harder and costlier to advertise on iOS while boosting Apple’s own advertising business. Publishers and advertising associations across the globe filed complaints with their local authorities, resulting in several regulatory probes into the feature.

The French Competition Authority found that ATT “particularly penalized smaller publishers,” who depend more on third-party data to serve ads.

“While we are disappointed with today’s decision, the French Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT,” Apple said in response to the decision.

While France’s antitrust regulator requires Apple to comply with its ruling, it didn’t specify what the tech giant should do to appease it. Apple is also awaiting rulings on ATT from regulators in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania, who are also investigating the company’s app tracking policies.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has found itself in quite a bit of regulatory hot water around the world as of late. The company is fending off monopoly allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice, and it is also fighting court battles in the U.K. over a whopping £1.5 billion (about $2.78 billion CAD or 1.94 billion USD) antitrust lawsuit.