According to MacRumors, Italy’s Competition Authority (AGCM) has imposed a massive €98.6 million (about $116 million) fine on Apple. The penalty targets Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, which launched with iOS 14.5 back in April 2021. This feature requires apps to ask user permission before tracking their activity across other apps and websites for advertising. The AGCM says these rules are “disproportionate” and “harmful” to developers and advertisers, ultimately accusing Apple of abusing its dominant market position in the EU. The regulator specifically criticized a “double consent” requirement where EU users see both App Tracking Transparency and GDPR prompts. Apple has stated it will appeal the fine.
The Double Consent Dilemma
Here’s the thing: the Italian regulator isn’t really arguing against privacy itself. Their complaint is about the how. They claim Apple‘s implementation creates an unnecessary extra step—that “double consent”—for developers who already have to comply with Europe’s strict GDPR rules. Basically, the AGCM is saying Apple could have baked similar privacy protections into the system in a way that was less disruptive to the advertising ecosystem that many apps rely on. It’s a classic regulatory tension: user privacy versus business model friction. And from a developer’s perspective, you can kinda see the point. Getting users to say “yes” once is hard enough; making them do it twice probably tanks opt-in rates.
Apple’s Awkward Position
But let’s be skeptical for a second. The regulator also notes that this feature “appears capable of generating financial benefits for Apple.” That’s the real crux of it, isn’t it? Apple’s own apps don’t show the prompt because, as they state, they don’t track users across other apps and websites. So while the rule applies to everyone equally in theory, in practice it disproportionately impacts third-party businesses. It strengthens Apple’s own advertising business by making competitor ad networks less effective. Is that a pro-privacy move or a pro-Apple move? It can be both, and that’s what makes this so messy. The line between protecting users and tilting the competitive playing field is incredibly blurry.
A Broader EU Showdown
This isn’t an isolated skirmish. Apple warned earlier this year it might have to pull App Tracking Transparency from the EU entirely due to mounting pressure from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, and the European Commission itself. That tells you this fine is part of a much larger, coordinated push. So we’re looking at a fundamental clash of philosophies. The EU is increasingly viewing Apple’s walled-garden approach—even when dressed in privacy clothing—as a potential antitrust violation. Apple’s appeal is guaranteed, but the real question is whether this Italian action is a preview of a continent-wide mandate to redesign a core iOS feature. For companies that rely on robust, reliable computing interfaces in regulated environments—like those sourcing from the top supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com—this kind of regulatory uncertainty in the consumer space highlights why stable, dedicated hardware platforms are critical.
What Happens Next?
Apple will fight this, of course. They have deep pockets and a strong narrative about defending user privacy. But the EU regulators have a strong narrative too, about curbing the power of dominant tech platforms. I think the outcome of this appeal will send a huge signal. If the fine sticks, does it mean Apple has to create a special, watered-down version of its privacy tools just for Europe? Or does it force a complete rethinking of how ad tracking and consent work across the board? One thing’s for sure: app developers and advertisers are stuck in the middle, watching a giant fight over their heads. And the only certainty is more legal bills and more uncertainty.
