Apple Scores Legal Win in France Over App-Privacy Changes -- Update
March 17 2021 - 06:17AM
Dow Jones News
By Sam Schechner
France's competition regulator rejected a plea from advertising
companies and publishers to block Apple Inc.'s plan to restrict
tracking of individuals' mobile-app usage.
In a potential blow to smaller companies hoping to block
big-tech rivals' privacy initiatives on antitrust grounds, the
French regulator on Wednesday said that Apple's plan to require
apps to obtain consent from users to track them "doesn't appear to
be abusive."
The authority said, however, that it plans to pursue an in-depth
investigation to determine whether Apple's changes could be
regarded as "self-preferencing" by imposing stricter rules on
third-party apps than it does on itself. That investigation could
stretch to next year.
Wednesday's decision removes one source of doubt over Apple's
plans, announced last year, to require apps on its smartphones and
tablets to get opt-in permission from users before collecting their
advertising identifiers, unique strings of letters and numbers that
companies use to identify individuals in order to show them
targeted ads and monitor how ad campaigns performed.
Privacy advocates and regulators have generally praised moves
like Apple's, saying consumers should have as much control as
possible over how their data is collected and used. In recent
years, a push toward greater online privacy has resulted in new
laws in Europe and California. But companies in the
online-advertising ecosystem have said such changes put them at a
competitive disadvantage.
The companies behind the complaint, filed last fall through a
group of trade associations, had argued few Apple users will agree
to be tracked, making it harder for apps to make money from
personalized ads and hurting companies that broker their sale.
Damien Geradin, the competition lawyer representing the
coalition of industry groups, said the companies were disappointed
with the French decision but satisfied that the authority would
pursue an in-depth investigation. "Apple is not off the hook yet,"
Mr. Geradin said.
Apple applauded the decision and said it would work with the
authority on its investigation. "We firmly believe that users' data
belongs to them, and that they should control when that data is
shared, and with whom," an Apple spokesman said.
Write to Sam Schechner at sam.schechner@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 17, 2021 06:02 ET (10:02 GMT)
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