There is a privacy function on your iPhone that has long been a thorn in the side of many app providers – the EU is now going to give them a helping hand.
EU wants Apple to remove privacy feature
It has been possible for years to refuse tracking requests from apps on your iPhone. You can do this per app when you install them, or you can refuse it for all apps at once (go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Tracking).
The feature is called ‘Allow tracking requests from apps’ and is now irritating not only the competition in the tech world, but also competition authorities in Europe. They suspect that there is unequal treatment when it comes to external apps and apps from Apple itself, and that is of course not allowed in the EU.
Allow tracking requests from apps
Many iPhone owners have been using Apple’s tracking blocker for years, causing the advertising industry and app developers to lose revenue. Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram, among others) even holds the privacy function responsible for billions in losses and has been fighting against restrictions in the field of data analysis for years. Apple, on the other hand, actively promotes the privacy of its devices. Apple also prevents tracking for advertisements in the Safari browser.
The resistance from Apple’s opponents now seems to be leading somewhere. Apple recently made the following statement: “Such investigations in Germany, Italy and other European countries could now force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers.” That would mean the end of the privacy function on your iPhone.
It arrived in Germany Federal Cartel Office already concluded in February that the privacy function may conflict with EU rules. The authority pointed out, among other things, that the function only applies to external apps and therefore not to apps from Apple itself. Whether the EU will quickly increase pressure on Apple remains to be seen. If you don’t want to miss anything, sign up for our newsletter!
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