Apple must pay an initial fine of EUR 5 million to the Dutch competition authority, after the company failed to implement fully new requirements for its App Store. The regulator ACM said it was not satisfied with Apple's statement of 15 January, and dating apps on the App Store still did not have the means to offer alternative payment systems to Apple. If Apple does not change its terms, the fines can increase to up to EUR 50 million.
According to the regulator, Apple has not met its obligations on multiple points. Most importantly, Apple has not updated the terms of the App Store in the Netherlands, so dating app publishers still cannot use other payment systems. The ACM previously found that Apple was abusing its dominant position by requiring the apps to use its own payment system when distributing their services on the App Store.
To date, Apple has made it possible only for dating apps to show their interest in using alternatives, the regulator said. Several barriers to using different systems remain on Apple's platform. For example, Apple seems to be requiring the app publishers to choose between linking to different payment options outside the app or using an alternative payment system. Both options should be available, the ACM said.
Apple said a week ago that it would comply with the ACM's decision. The conditions were imposed by the regulator in August 2021, and in December 2021 a court ruling made the decision public.
