Apple facing $2.7 billion UK lawsuit over 'unfair' app tracking rules

Apple is facing a 2 billion pound ($2.7 billion) class-action lawsuit in the United Kingdom, filed at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of app developers. The lawsuit alleges that Apple abused its dominant market power by imposing unfair restrictions through its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework introduced in 2021. Claimants argue that the privacy feature placed significantly stricter requirements on third-party developers than on Apple's own advertising services, giving Apple an unfair competitive edge in mobile advertising while causing substantial financial harm to businesses relying on the ecosystem. The legal action is led by Ann Pope, a former senior official at Britain's Competition and Markets Authority. This UK lawsuit adds to widening antitrust scrutiny and regulatory pressure against Apple across Europe. The company has already faced investigations and fines from regulators in France, Italy, and Poland, and recently agreed to modify its data consent rules in Germany following challenges from competition authorities and digital advertising stakeholders including Meta Platforms.