The Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s competition authority, has accused Apple of giving its own apps an advantage in the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) pop‑ups that ask users whether they allow personal data collection.

Apple’s ATT framework, launched in April 2021, prompts users to consent to data sharing each time an app is opened. The regulator argues that the wording, design and selection options in Apple’s own requests are more likely to encourage consent, while third‑party apps face discouraging cues. As a result, Apple must remove any “possibly discouraging symbols and wording” from its predefined requests and make all data collection prompts neutral in content, layout and wording.

Apple has four months to implement these changes and must test them with app developers. The Bundeskartellamt will monitor compliance for seven years under an independent trustee. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment.

This ruling adds to a growing list of antitrust challenges facing Apple, highlighting the tension between proprietary design and fair competition in the app ecosystem.