Apple now faces £2 billion UK lawsuit over ATT: iOS developers claim “double consent” burden

Apple is facing a proposed £2 billion class-action suit in the UK over App Tracking Transparency, or ATT. ATT Collective Action Limited argues, on behalf of UK iOS developers, that Apple’s privacy framework puts third-party apps at an unfair disadvantage.

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The case has been filed by ATT Collective Action Limited for UK iOS developers and is being led by Ann Pope, the former antitrust director at the Competition and Markets Authority. The claim says ATT, which arrived with iOS 14.5 in April 2021, forces apps to ask users for permission before tracking them across apps and websites, while subjecting third-party developers to tighter rules than Apple applies to its own apps and services, including what the suit describes as a “double consent” burden.

According to the claimants, Apple rolled out the system without proper consultation. They say it dragged down opt-in rates, made targeted advertising less effective, pushed up user-acquisition costs, and hit sectors such as mobile gaming especially hard. Apple’s position is that ATT protects user privacy. Critics, though, argue Apple shouldn’t be operating under one set of consent rules for its own services and another for everyone else, and the claimants also point to regulators in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Romania, which are already looking at similar concerns.

If you build, advertise, or publish apps on iOS, this is a case to watch. ATT is still available on iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 14.5 or later.