About the Claim

What has Apple done?

The claim alleges that Apple designed and implemented App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in a way that unfairly disadvantaged third-party app developers.

Apple required third-party developers to comply with more restrictive privacy requirements than those applied to its own advertising and data collection activities.

Third-party developers were required to introduce a restrictive privacy choice screen, while Apple did not impose equivalent requirements on its own data collection. The claim also alleges that these changes were introduced without giving developers sufficient consultation or time to adapt.

Privacy selection screen for third-party apps (left) compared to apps developed by Apple (right)

Apple began by imposing no controls on itself at all, and then only much more limited privacy prompts, while prompts imposed on third-party apps were mandatory and much more restrictive.

These changes led to a big drop in user consent for use of data by third-party app developers, but not for Apple. These changes were also enacted unilaterally, without consultation, and too rapidly for developers to adapt their business models, resulting in massive losses in revenue.

While benefiting from access to its own first-party data, Apple generated an estimated $7.42 billion (£5.54 billion) in ad revenues in 2025 alone, using this data.

Meanwhile, UK third-party app developers are estimated to have lost £2 billion since April 2021, as a result of the application of this policy. There are an estimated 13,000 app developers in the UK who have been affected by Apple’s conduct.

Why register for updates?

• No cost – if you or your organisation distributed apps on the Apple App Store between 26 April 2021 and 3 September 2026, and have generated revenue from advertising within a third-party iOS app and/or incurred expenditure on advertising to acquire users for a third-party iOS app, you could receive compensation without needing to pay anything at all.
  

• Access to compensation – Registering for updates ensures that you are first in line to receive information about the case. If the claim is successful, you will be informed of the process to receive compensation.
  

• Holding Big Tech accountable – While Apple sees record profits in its advertising business, iOS app developers face increased commercial pressures. UK app developers are estimated to have lost out on £2 billion through Apple’s unfair conduct.