Apple Faces £2 Billion Lawsuit Over App Tracking Rules

Thousands of app developers filed a £2 billion collective lawsuit against Apple Inc. at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal on September 3, 2026. The claimants allege that Apple abused its market power through the implementation of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, which they claim imposed stricter tracking restrictions on third-party developers than on Apple's own first-party services.

According to the lawsuit, this disparity provided Apple's advertising ecosystem with an unfair competitive advantage and caused significant financial losses for British businesses. Ann Pope argued that the ATT policy lacked the transparency and objectivity expected of a gatekeeper and harmed businesses that depend on the platform. She stated that privacy protections should be applied fairly to ensure a level playing field for businesses of all sizes.

Apple maintains that the ATT framework provides important privacy protections for its users. This legal action follows a pattern of regulatory scrutiny across Europe, including fines in Italy and France and a recent agreement in Germany to redesign consent pop-ups to be more neutral.