French watchdog rejects requests to suspend Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature

[1/2] Isabelle de Silva, Head of France's competition authority, talks during a news conference after French antitrust authority published a decision on iPhone maker Apple, in Paris, France, March 17, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - France's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday rejected a request by online advertising lobbying groups that Apple (AAPL.O) suspend its App Tracking Transparency feature.

The ruling marked the first antitrust decision of its kind in Europe.

It could have repercussions worldwide for the U.S. tech giant, which portrays itself as a defender of data privacy rights but faces criticism from Facebook (FB.O), app developers and startups whose business models rely on the use of advertising tracking.

Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; editing by John Stonestreet

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