Following ongoing legal disputes across Europe, Apple has warned that it may withdraw its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature from the region. The company is currently facing legal challenges in Germany, Italy, and several other countries, according to a report from DPA International.
In a statement shared with the publication, Apple said, “Intense lobby efforts in Germany, Italy, and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature — to the detriment of European consumers.”
Introduced with iOS 14.5, App Tracking Transparency marked a major shift in how users control their data. Before its launch, third-party apps, including social media platforms like Facebook, could track user activity across different apps and websites with minimal user consent. ATT changed that by requiring apps to explicitly ask permission before tracking behavior, giving users more control over their personal data.
While the feature has been praised for strengthening privacy rights, it has also drawn criticism from regulators and rivals. Several European courts have raised concerns that ATT could violate local competition laws, arguing that it gives Apple an unfair advantage by limiting competitors’ access to user data while Apple continues to operate within its own ecosystem.
Apple’s Response to Data Collection Allegations
Apple maintains that it does not collect user data for advertising purposes and that any analytics data it gathers is randomized and anonymized. This approach, the company says, allows it to see total download figures for specific apps without being able to identify individual users.
However, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office disputes this claim, suggesting that Apple may still have the ability to combine data from the App Store, Apple ID, and connected devices for advertising and market analysis purposes — something Apple denies.
What’s Next for European Users
Germany and Italy have yet to issue final rulings in their investigations. Meanwhile, Apple insists it will “continue to urge the relevant authorities in Germany, Italy, and across Europe to allow Apple to continue providing this important privacy tool to our users.”
If Apple ultimately removes App Tracking Transparency from Europe, advertisers and social media platforms could once again gain broader access to user behavior data. The withdrawal would also add ATT to a growing list of features — including certain Apple Intelligence tools and system settings — that remain unavailable in Europe due to ongoing regulatory pressures under the Digital Markets Act.
