Apple is facing a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) lawsuit in the UK over its app tracking rules, with lawyers representing app developers accusing the iPhone maker of using its market power unfairly.
The case was filed at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal on Thursday. It focuses on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, which the company introduced in 2021.
Apple says the feature gives users greater control over their privacy. It allows people to decide whether apps can track their activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
The legal team behind the lawsuit takes a different view. It argues that Apple applied tougher requirements to third-party developers than to its own services. According to the claim, those rules gave Apple an advantage in the digital advertising market.
Developers Challenge Apple’s Tracking Rules
Ann Pope, a former senior official at Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, is leading the legal action. She said Apple’s policy had caused significant harm to businesses that rely on the company to distribute their apps.
Pope said the case aims to protect British businesses that depend on Apple and ensure that the company applies fair rules. The lawsuit also seeks compensation for losses that the claimants say they suffered because of Apple’s policies.
The case adds another legal challenge to Apple’s approach to app tracking. The company has previously defended App Tracking Transparency as an important privacy measure.
Apple did not immediately comment on the latest lawsuit.
Apple Faces Regulatory Scrutiny in Europe
Apple’s tracking system has faced scrutiny from competition authorities in several European countries.
Germany has been a particular focus. The country’s competition authority previously accused Apple of abusing its market position through its approach to app tracking and advertising data.
The issue has attracted criticism from companies whose businesses depend heavily on digital advertising. Meta, the owner of Facebook, along with publishers, advertisers and app developers, has raised concerns about the impact of Apple’s tracking restrictions.
The German competition authority said Apple’s position in the mobile ecosystem gave the company significant influence over how other businesses operate.
Last month, Apple agreed to changes in Germany involving the way app developers can use personal data for targeted advertising. The agreement followed the competition authority’s investigation into Apple’s practices.
Lawsuit Adds to Pressure on Apple
The UK case now gives developers another avenue to challenge Apple’s policies. Its outcome could have wider implications for companies that depend on Apple’s App Store and advertising ecosystem.
At the heart of the dispute is whether Apple’s privacy rules apply equally to the company and third-party developers. The lawsuit will now test those claims before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Apple continues to maintain that App Tracking Transparency protects users by giving them more control over how their information is used. The new legal action will put that policy under further scrutiny as regulators and businesses continue to examine Apple’s power over its mobile ecosystem.
