Poland Orders Apple to Change Privacy Prompts Within Two Months of Final Decision
Key Facts
Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection said on October 20, 2026, that it had ordered Apple companies to change their practices for consent messages linked to the App Tracking Transparency policy. The decision covers Apple, Apple Distribution International and Apple Operations International, following proceedings launched by the office over suspected competition concerns. It requires the companies to amend how consent prompts are presented and what they contain, making the messages neutral and giving users clearer information about the use of their data. The office said differences in the messages could affect user choices and harm independent app developers. The decision does not establish an infringement; it imposes changes the companies agreed to implement under a binding order.
The case centered on differences in what iPhone and iPad users saw when asked for permission to use their data. According to the office, third-party apps asked users to consent to “tracking,” while Apple asked for consent to “personalized ads.” The windows and button text also differed, leaving users with inconsistent experiences across apps. The office explained that the App Tracking Transparency policy defined tracking as collecting data from apps by different companies to serve personalized ads. But it did not treat combining data collected by a single entity, including Apple, as tracking. The regulator said this disparity may have discouraged users from sharing their data with independent app publishers.
The office said differences in how consent was requested could give an advantage to entities that use their own data in advertising services, specifically naming Apple. Users’ reluctance to share data with independent developers could weaken their ability to serve personalized ads. These ads are tied to placements developers sell within their apps, so the decision could affect their advertising revenue. Under the changes, the messages will have a neutral appearance, layout and content. Labels and wording that could influence a user’s choice, including the word “tracking,” will be removed.
The obligations include providing Polish consumers with more precise information about how their data is used. App publishers will also be able to add a link to a page or additional display explaining the processing of personal data. The office said Apple will not be able to intervene in the content of these explanatory materials. The new rules apply to app publishers offering their apps to users in Poland. The consent prompt covered by the change appears to users whose Apple account combines a Polish billing address with Poland set as the device’s location.
The decision provides a separate channel for developers’ comments, inquiries and complaints. An independent liaison will be appointed to receive them in Polish or English before referring them to another independent body for consideration. The office said this process gives developers a way to raise concerns about implementation of the obligations. The two-month implementation period begins once the decision becomes final, not on the date the office announced it. Apple must submit documents and information proving implementation, and the office also imposed annual reporting obligations on the company.
The head of the office placed the decision in the context of months of cooperation with the European Commission. He said the Commission wanted, through joint action, to push Apple to make beneficial changes to the App Tracking Transparency policy in other member states as well. France’s regulator had previously issued a decision in the case in March 2025, followed by an Italian decision in December of the same year. In August 2026, Germany’s office issued a decision requiring Apple to change its practices. The Polish decision is part of a series of European interventions addressing how consent is requested for the use of data for advertising purposes.
Apple said app developers in the European Union will be able to choose an alternative version of the consent prompt starting with iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2. The timing requirements for requesting permission will remain unchanged, the company said. The alternative version will be available only to apps distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Romania. The prompt includes an option for a text button titled “More Information,” which displays a fuller explanation of a request to link user or device data for advertising purposes or share it with a data broker. Apple shares closed at $343.91 on October 26, 2026, according to EL7 data.