Poland’s President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), Tomasz Chróstny, has issued a binding decision compelling Apple to modify its business practices regarding data privacy prompts and market competition. The ruling mandates Apple, Apple Distribution International, and Apple Operations International to level the playing field for independent mobile app developers competing on iOS and iPadOS devices in Poland.
The regulatory intervention targets Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework. Under ATT, Apple defined “tracking” as combining user data across third-party applications for targeted advertising, requiring external developers to display a specialized consent prompt. However, Apple exempted its own first-party data collection from the “tracking” designation, asking users only for permission regarding “personalized ads” using different phrasing, visual styles, and button layouts. UOKiK found that this asymmetry discouraged consumers from sharing data with independent publishers, giving Apple an unfair competitive edge in mobile advertising.
Under the commitments accepted by UOKiK, Apple must deploy neutral, standardized consent prompts across both its own services and third-party apps for users registered in Poland. All biased formatting, graphic elements, and loaded terminology—including the word “tracking”—will be eliminated. Independent developers will also be permitted to embed direct links within consent prompts directing users to detailed, unedited privacy notices explaining data processing.
To resolve ongoing disputes with mobile developers, Apple must establish a dedicated dispute-resolution framework. This includes appointing an independent Liaison Officer to receive complaints in Polish or English, which will then be evaluated by an independent Monitoring Trustee.
Apple is required to implement these binding changes within two months of the decision becoming legally final, followed by annual compliance reporting to UOKiK. The decision represents the culmination of joint enforcement coordination with the European Commission and parallels similar antitrust actions against Apple’s ATT framework across France, Italy, and Germany. UOKiK confirmed that parallel competition inquiries into Google and Meta remain ongoing.