Apple is to make changes to it's App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF), following an investigation conducted by Germany's competition regulator.

The German regulator, Bundeskartellamt, has said that "Apple will change its rules on how app providers can use user data on iPhones and iPads for personalised advertising", in a press release on it's website.

This comes after an investigation by the regulator that found Apple does not inflict the ATTF on it's own apps, but forces third-party apps to comply.

ATTF was launched in 2021, and is a pop-up that appears when you first open a third-party app, where the user can ask the app not to track.

The prompt says:

Allow "Example App" to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites? Your data will be used to deliver personalised ads or content to you.

The German regulator says that Apple will now begin to align these consent prompts to match across their own apps and third-party apps, in an attempt to prevent anti-competitive behaviour.

The changes include "removing possibly discouraging symbols and wording in Apple’s predefined requests for third-party providers" and instead showing a pop-up that "will be neutral in terms of content, wording and layout."

They also said that third-party apps will be given the opportunity to explain "what significance personalised advertising has" to the provider.

Germany has said that they do not directly oppose ATTF, which is an additional level of protection on top of existing privacy laws and regulations.

Bundeskartellamt President, Andreas Mundt, said:

"Apple is allowed to provide for a level of protection for its users that exceeds the minimum legal requirements. However, if Apple sets up additional rules within its ecosystem for the use of data, these rules must, under Germany’s special abuse provision for large digital companies, not treat its own offerings better than those of its competitors."

Apple has 4 months to make the changes, and the commitment will apply for 7 years. It will be monitored by an "independent monitoring trustee."