Under the agreements with select European competition authorities, the requirement to prompt users—and the timing of that prompt—remains in place. But app developers distributing software in the European Union will be able to display an alternative consent screen with modified formatting and language, as well as an option to link out to “additional information” about why the app is requesting the permission, among other changes.
Regulators had said the ATT system favored Apple over third-party apps because Apple allows its own apps to use consumers’ data from its ecosystem without requiring a consent screen. Apple’s compliance package includes more than half-a-dozen changes intended to make the ATT consent screens less intimidating to end users.
The changes include presenting the screens as full-page displays rather than pop-ups, removing the word “track,” and replacing the choice buttons “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track” with “Allow” and “Reject.” Apple is also changing colors and formatting, among other adjustments.
Developers will additionally be able to offer users more detailed information through a clickable link explaining how they use the data and why it is being requested.
Apple, the iPhone maker, said that due to legal requirements only the alternative version of the system prompt will be available to apps distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania.
The outcome matters for the advertising-supported app economy. Users typically respond to consent screens by asking apps not to track them, which hurts ad-supported businesses such as Meta while boosting Apple’s own. Apps seek the permission because it lets them show personalized advertising, which generates more revenue and helps developers make money.
Apple has argued that the consent screens help protect consumer privacy, even though it permits its own apps to display personalized ads based on data they collect from its ecosystem. The company also said it will now allow app developers distributing to the EU to re-prompt their EU users one year after the user’s previous choice in the ATT consent screen.