The Italian penalty comes amid heightened scrutiny of technology firms across Europe. In March 2025, France’s competition authority fined Apple €150 million, citing that its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy framework created excessive consent prompts and disproportionately penalised smaller app publishers. This was the first antitrust penalty focused on ATT.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has been enforcing the Digital Markets Act, which bars “gatekeeper” platforms from unfairly steering users to in‑app purchases. In April, the Commission fined Apple €500 million for restricting developers from guiding customers to cheaper options outside the App Store.
Apple appealed the decision, arguing that the EU overstepped and that the required business terms were confusing. To avoid daily fines of up to €50 million, Apple updated its fee structure and allowed developers to include external payment links. European regulators say such measures are needed to ensure fair competition and protect consumers.
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