Apple faces £2bn claim from UK app developers over App Tracking Transparency

Apple is facing a £2bn collective legal claim brought on behalf of thousands of UK app developers over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy.

The claim, filed by ATT Collective Action Limited, alleges Apple imposed stricter consent requirements on third-party apps than on its own services when ATT rolled out in 2021 without consulting developers.

The group says this cut into ad-reliant businesses’ revenue, even as Apple’s own advertising business kept expanding. The claim says Apple’s advertising business has grown from $1.5bn to roughly $7.4bn between 2020 and 2025.

Ann Pope, the Competition and Markets Authority’s former senior director for antitrust, leads the case.

“Privacy is an important protection for consumers, but it should be applied fairly and in a way that ensures businesses of all sizes can compete on a level playing field,” Pope said.

“It cannot become a reason for digital platforms to play by one set of rules while forcing app developers to play by another.”

UK developers that earn ad revenue or spend on user acquisition within third-party iOS apps are automatically included in the claim unless they opt out.

The filing follows years of regulatory pressure on ATT across Europe. French and Italian authorities have already fined Apple a combined $284m (£211m) over the policy, and Apple agreed to change how ATT prompts are displayed as part of a German settlement last month. Those changes are expected to extend across the EU.

The UK’s CMA is separately still investigating ATT and has designated Apple’s mobile platform as holding Strategic Market Status. Law firm Hausfeld, which is representing the claimants, previously won a $2bn (£1.5bn) Competition Appeal Tribunal case against Apple on behalf of consumer champion Dr Rachael Kent in 2025.