The French Competition Authority could be set to launch an antitrust investigation into Apple over a move in 2021 to amend app tracking policies, which led to alleged illegal anticompetitive behaviour, Axios reported.

The mooted investigation, the first launched over Apple’s app tracking policy shake-up, could see the authority issuing a formal statement of objections in the coming weeks, sources claimed.

The app tracking overhaul, announced in 2020 and introduced a year later, made it easier for iPhone users to opt out of being tracked across apps used. However, it also caused a major stir as it resulted in a decline in advertising revenue for a number of companies.

While Apple positioned the move at the time as a way to ensure user privacy, critics have noted that Apple’s advertising business has not been hit in the same way others have been, and the changes actually boosted its business.

Should France launch an investigation, it would mean the authority has found evidence of anticompetitive behaviour by Apple, following a review which was sparked by companies complaining about the changes.

Appeal
Notably, French authorities said in 2021 the changes “do not reflect an abuse of a dominant position on the part of Apple”, and it would not issue any measures, but added it would continue to investigate.

Apple was however the subject of small win in against the French Competition Authority late last year, after a French appeals court cut a record fine for alleged uncompetitive policies towards retailers and distributors, from €1.1 billion to €371.6 million.