Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

iOS 27.2 lets developers use an alternative App Tracking Transparency prompt in the EU

read original more articles
Why This Matters

Apple is rolling out a modified App Tracking Transparency prompt in the EU as part of its settlement with German antitrust regulators, following a years-long investigation into whether the original ATT system unfairly disadvantaged third-party apps. This change signals how regulatory pressure in Europe continues to force Apple to adapt core privacy and platform policies differently across markets, which could set precedent for other regions.

Key Takeaways

Starting with iOS 27.2, developers will have the option to use an alternative App Tracking Transparency system prompt in the EU, as part of Apple’s recent deal with the bloc. Here are the details.

New prompt is mandatory in select European countries

A few weeks ago, Apple confirmed it would comply with “fairer” App Tracking Transparency rules in the EU, following an investigation by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office.

The deal concluded a years-long antitrust probe into whether Apple’s ATT rules unfairly disadvantaged third-party apps compared with its own services. Apple has always denied the allegations, claiming that it applies the same strict privacy principles to its own apps from the ground up. German regulators, however, remained unconvinced.

As a result, Apple agreed to eight changes in the ATT framework in Europe, and you can read more about that here.

That said, Apple confirmed today that iOS 27 will let developers choose whether they want to “use an alternative version of the App Tracking Transparency system prompt in the EU,” and added that “due to legal requirements, only the alternative version of the system prompt is available for apps distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania.”

In an update to the “User privacy and data use” developer support page, Apple elaborates on the alternative version of this system prompt:

The alternative version of the App Tracking Transparency system prompt has modified formatting and language and provides you the option to use a text button labeled “Additional Information.” This allows you to surface additional information about your request to link user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes, or to share user or device data with a data broker.

The company adds that EU developers will also be able to re-prompt users one year after their previous ATT choice, regardless of whether they initially accepted or declined tracking.

To learn more about the upcoming changes to ATT in Europe, follow this link.

... continue reading