Apple will change how app developers can seek user permission for targeted advertising on iPhones and iPads after Germany's Federal Cartel Office closed a years-long investigation into its App Tracking Transparency framework. The authority said Apple's setup gave its own apps more favorable consent prompts than those used by third-party developers, raising potential competition concerns. Under commitments accepted by the regulator, Apple has four months after the decision is served to redesign third-party consent pop-ups so they are visually and linguistically neutral, remove discouraging language and symbols, and allow publishers more flexibility to combine Apple's required prompt with separate data-protection consent requests. Apple said the changes would apply in almost all European Union countries. The framework has already drawn penalties elsewhere in Europe, with France and Italy fining Apple 150 million euros and 98.6 million euros, respectively.