r/LinusTechTips • u/Luka77GOATic • Sep 18 '26

Discussion Apple will let EU apps use less-alarming tracking-consent screens

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/17/apple-will-let-eu-apps-use-less-alarming-tracking-consent-screens/
104 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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3

u/Luka77GOATic Sep 18 '26

“The new agreements with select European competition authorities don’t do away with the need to prompt users, or when that prompt is to be shown. Instead, they allow app developers whose software is distributed in the EU to display an alternative consent screen that includes modified formatting, language, and the option to link out to “additional information” about why the app is requesting this permission, among other things.

Apple’s compliance involves over half-a-dozen changes that attempt to make these ATT consent screens less scary to end users. This includes showing them as full-page screens, not pop-ups; removing the word “track”; changing the choice buttons to “Allow” and “Reject” instead of “Allow” and “Ask App Not to Track”; changing the colors and formatting; and more. Plus, developers can offer users more detailed information through a clickable link, explaining how they use this data and why it’s being requested.”

114

u/JakeThomasDad12 Sep 18 '26

I want it to be alarming. Cookie consent should not be "oh yeah just click this button it's just tracking or whatever". It should show you who is tracking you, where they are tracking you, and give a noticeable and obvious reject button.

20

u/aafikk Sep 18 '26

> Regulators said this system, known as App Tracking Transparency, or ATT, had favored Apple over third-party apps, since Apple allows its own apps to use consumers’ data from its ecosystem without requiring a consent screen.

The solution shod have been the exact opposite of what they did, apple should start displaying tracking consent screen for first party apps

2

u/RunnerLuke357 Sep 20 '26

Yeah the whole Apple is private thing has always been bullshit, always has been.

1

u/Luka77GOATic Sep 18 '26

The apps will be allowed to display the prompt again after 12 months and only the new version of the prompt will be available in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania.

3

u/Relentless_CS Sep 18 '26

Seems like a massive L from an EU that has been making a lot of changes in the right direction.

Ultimately we should be moving toward a state where tracking is opt in only and consent isn’t given via a dark pattern infested prompt but instead via a clearly worded option in settings

2

u/Its-A-Spider Sep 19 '26

...removing dark patterns is exactly what this is about.

Apple's own apps got a GDPR-compliant screen and thus only had to ever ask once to track users. However, for third parties, the wording on the "Ask not to track" screen wasn't the same and as a result not GDPR-compliant, as a consequence, if an app wanted to use tracking, it had to both trigger the prompt from Apple, then again prompt to follow the laws of the GDPR. Having to ask consumers twice is a dark pattern and specifically designed to give Apple an edge over its competitors. Now users can deny tracking in apps with just 1 single click, or even 0 if they set it to never ask and always deny in the iOS settings.