How France’s antitrust ruling could give a boost to app retargeting

Summary

The French Competition Authority fined Apple €150M for abusing its dominant position via ATT, which reduced iOS retargeting effectiveness. This ruling, alongside investigations in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania, may force Apple to change ATT, potentially restoring retargeting capabilities. Since iOS users are generally higher-value (higher income, more app engagement), this opportunity is significant.

Advertisers should prepare: strengthen first-party data collection (in-app sign-ups, behavior tracking), leverage cross-promotion among multi-title portfolios (cheaper than acquiring new users), and create granular audience segmentation (by game type, spend, engagement). Prepare for increased competition by implementing frequency capping, ad timing optimization, and AI-driven creative generation with DCO. For retention and revenue, offer in-app purchases (power-ups, virtual currencies, premium features) and subscription models.

However, navigate carefully as the ruling is country-specific, and ATT may persist globally. Advertisers who prepare now can gain a first-mover advantage if iOS retargeting becomes viable again.