Poland’s consumer protection authority has ordered Apple to overhaul the way it requests user consent for data use on iPhones and iPads, concluding that the tech giant’s privacy feature may have favoured its own applications over those developed by third parties.
UOKiK, Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, launched an investigation nearly a year ago into Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy. The watchdog has now issued a compliance decision requiring the company to change several aspects of how it handles user permissions, according to Spider’s Web – technologie.
Two different messages for the same purpose
The investigation revealed that Apple’s ATT feature operated differently depending on who developed the application. When users opened third-party apps that used profiling, they saw a message asking for consent to “tracking”. However, Apple’s own applications displayed a different prompt, requesting permission for “personalised advertising”.
The distinction went beyond just wording. The visual appearance, content and layout of the consent windows and buttons also varied between the two types of applications. UOKiK argued that such differences could discourage users from sharing data with independent publishers whilst favouring entities like Apple that use their own data to deliver advertising services.
The authority noted that interface design and button placement have a significant influence on user behaviour. The prominence and positioning of “allow” versus “deny” options can substantially affect which choice people make, even when the underlying data use is similar.
Impact on app developers
According to UOKiK, the differing messages made it harder for app publishers to offer personalised advertising. Users confronted with language about “tracking” in third-party apps were likely more reluctant to grant permission compared to those seeing a request for “personalised ads” in Apple’s own software.
The head of UOKiK has now obliged Apple to change its practices towards publishers offering applications to users in Poland. The company must ensure that consent prompts in its own apps and those from independent developers have a neutral appearance, layout and content.
The new messages will not include graphic elements or wording that might influence user choices. Crucially, applications will no longer ask for permission to “track” users. Instead, all prompts will uniformly request consent for “personalised advertising”.
Apple must also provide Polish consumers with clear information about how their data is used, enabling iPhone and iPad owners to make better-informed decisions about whether to grant or withhold consent. The company has two months to implement these changes.
What this means for Poles in Poland
If you own an iPhone or iPad in Poland, you can expect to see standardised privacy prompts within the next two months. Whether you’re opening a banking app, a social media platform or Apple’s own services, the consent messages will look the same and use identical language about personalised advertising rather than tracking.
This change should make it easier to understand what you’re agreeing to and ensure that your decision is based on the actual data use rather than how the question is framed. The ruling applies specifically to devices used in Poland, so Poles living abroad may not see these changes unless their device is registered to a Polish App Store account.
For app developers based in Poland or serving Polish users, the decision levels the playing field. Third-party publishers will no longer be at a disadvantage when requesting user consent compared to Apple’s own applications, potentially improving their ability to offer personalised content and advertising.
UOKiK’s decision is legally binding. If you notice that consent prompts on your Apple device haven’t changed after two months, you can report this to UOKiK through their website at uokik.gov.pl.
