# Apple privacy and antitrust legal challenges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/apple-privacy-and-antitrust-legal-challenges > Updated: 2026-09-03T10:54:14.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 2. Apple is facing significant legal challenges regarding its privacy and data policies in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In the United States, a judge allowed a lawsuit to proceed concerning Apple Photos’ face-recognition feature. The suit alleges violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, seeking up to $32 billion in damages. Apple maintains that its recognition algorithm runs locally on devices and does not transmit images to its servers. In the United Kingdom, a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) collective action lawsuit has been filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal by ATT Collective Action Limited, represented by the law firm Hausfeld. The claimants allege that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework—introduced in 2021 to require user permission for cross-platform tracking—abuses market power. The lawsuit argues that while marketed as a privacy tool, the ATT framework imposes stricter requirements on third-party developers than on Apple’s own services, providing an unfair advantage to Apple’s advertising ecosystem. Ann Pope, a former senior official at the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, stated the policy “resulted in very significant harm to businesses that depend on Apple as a gatekeeper.” This legal action follows years of regulatory scrutiny in Europe, including investigations and fines in France and Italy, as well as regulatory changes in Germany regarding app tracking consent. Apple has defended the feature, asserting it provides essential privacy controls and that the company is subject to the same requirements as all other developers. ## Claims - Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules are more restrictive for third-party developers than for Apple's own services. (disputed by 21 sources) - Apple maintains that its App Tracking Transparency feature is designed for user privacy and that all developers are subject to the same requirements. (disputed by 12 sources) - The lawsuit seeks £2 billion ($2.7 billion) in damages for UK app developers. (corroborated by 21 sources) - Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework in 2021. (corroborated by 21 sources) - ATT Collective Action Limited filed a lawsuit in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal against Apple. (corroborated by 18 sources) - Ann Pope, a former CMA official, stated the policy caused significant harm to businesses relying on Apple as a gatekeeper. (corroborated by 11 sources) - The German competition authority found that Apple's ATT pop-ups for its own services could encourage user consent compared to third-party apps. (corroborated by 6 sources) - The French Competition Authority fined Apple 150 million euros last year regarding ATT practices. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The collective action was filed in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal on September 3, 2026. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-03: Apple faces £2 billion UK lawsuit over app tracking rules Apple faces a £2 billion UK lawsuit alleging its App Tracking Transparency rules unfairly favor its own advertising services over third-party developers. 22 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/apple-faces-2-billion-lawsuit-in-uk-over-app-tracking-rules ### 2026-08-04: Apple Photos Face Recognition Lawsuit Allowed to Proceed in US A U.S. judge lets a $32 billion lawsuit proceed against Apple, alleging its Photos face‑recognition violates Illinois BIPA, though Apple says the feature runs on‑device and doesn’t collect biometric data. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/apple-photos-face-recognition-lawsuit-allowed-to-proceed-in-us --- Cite as: Apple privacy and antitrust legal challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/apple-privacy-and-antitrust-legal-challenges