A court in Paris has ruled in Apple’s favor, allowing App Tracking Transparency to remain active in France. The judge rejected a request to suspend the feature, giving Apple a key legal win in its ongoing dispute with the advertising industry over user tracking.
According to La Tribune, the Paris judicial court refused to block Apple’s App Tracking Transparency system, often called ATT. The case was brought by a group of advertising and digital trade associations that argued the feature harmed their business. The judge declined to suspend the system, keeping it in place on Apple devices.
The Ruling
ATT has been part of iOS since April 2021. It requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking their activity across other apps and websites. When users choose “Ask App Not to Track,” apps lose access to the device’s advertising identifier. Apple says this gives users clear control over their data and improves privacy.
Apple welcomed the decision. In a statement shared with La Tribune, the company said, “We welcome the court’s decision to reject these unfounded allegations.” Apple added that the feature “has been widely adopted by our users” and praised by privacy advocates and data protection authorities, including in France.
Ongoing tension with advertisers
The ruling comes after a €150 million fine imposed last year by France’s competition regulator, which said Apple abused its market position by introducing ATT. Advertisers argue that the feature disrupted their business. French regulators previously noted a sharp drop in tracking consent, leading to major revenue losses for publishers.
Despite pressure across the EU, the Paris decision allows Apple to keep ATT active in France, at least for now, marking another chapter in the wider battle over digital privacy and advertising.
