Apple faces £2bn lawsuit over App Tracking Transparency
ATT Collective Action Limited has filed a £2 billion class action lawsuit against Apple in the UK, alleging unfair implementation of the App Tracking Transparency framework and discrimination against iOS developers.
Apple is facing a £2 billion class action lawsuit in the UK over its implementation of the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, which the claimants argue unfairly disadvantaged iOS developers while allowing the company to maintain less restrictive standards for its own data collection.
The legal claim, filed by ATT Collective Action Limited with the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleges that Apple abused its market power and discriminated against UK-based iOS developers. The core of the complaint is that while third-party apps are required to obtain user consent through a predefined prompt to track data, Apple applies less restrictive standards to its own advertising and data collection activities.
ATT was introduced in 2021 with the iOS 14.5 update, requiring user authorisation to access data tracked across other apps. The framework had a significant impact on the mobile app development sector, particularly for games that rely heavily on paid advertising for user acquisition. According to the claim, the implementation of ATT caused significant losses across the UK app development sector due to a reduction in advertising value and an increase in the cost of attracting new users.
Ann Pope, director of ATT Collective Action Limited and former senior director for antitrust at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), stated that privacy protections should be applied fairly to ensure businesses of all sizes can compete on a level playing field. She argued that the policy was implemented without the transparency and objectivity expected from a company in Apple's position, resulting in significant harm to businesses that depend on Apple as a gatekeeper.
Luke Streatfeild, a partner at Hausfeld and lead solicitor for the claim, noted that the case raises questions about how powerful digital platforms should behave and the intersection of privacy protections and fair markets. He described the ATT policy as being imposed unfairly and unilaterally without consultation, damaging British app developers without justification while allowing Apple's business to flourish.
UK-based app developers that generated revenue from advertising in third-party iOS apps or spent money to attract users are automatically represented by the claim. Several European regulators, including those in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Romania, have previously investigated Apple's ATT framework. Regulators in France and Italy have imposed fines exceeding £200 million, and Apple reached a settlement with the German regulator in August 2026.
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