Apple Faces $2.7 Billion Class-Action Lawsuit Ahead of New Product Launch, Accused of Abusing App Tracking Rules to Suppress Third Parties

According to Reuters, Apple faces a class-action lawsuit totaling £2 billion (approximately $2.7 billion) ahead of its new product launch. Plaintiffs representing app developers allege that Apple is abusing its dominant market position by imposing stricter restrictions on third-party developers through the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules, thereby creating a competitive advantage for its own advertising business. Apple launched the ATT functionality in 2021, allowing users to decide whether to authorize apps to track their activity across other companies' apps and websites. The plaintiffs argue that Apple imposes stricter requirements on third-party applications compared to its own services, leading to significant losses for businesses reliant on the Apple platform.