Apple Eliminates Separate Binary Requirement for Dutch Dating Apps Accepting Alternative Payments

Wednesday March 30, 2022 11:59 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today announced that developers of dating apps on the App Store in the Netherlands that use an alternative payments system no longer need to create and use a separate binary. This change allows these developers to accept alternative payments in their existing dating apps, but only in the Netherlands and on devices running iOS or iPadOS.

iOS App Store General Feature Sqaure Complement
Apple also announced two other changes that apply to dating apps accepting alternative payments in the Netherlands:

- Payment Service Provider Criteria: Apple is providing updated and more-specific criteria to evaluate non-Apple payment service providers that developers of dating apps in the Netherlands may use.

- Consumer Disclosures: Apps that use either entitlement need to include an in-app modal sheet that explains to users that they're going to make purchases through an external payment system, and the potential impact that choice could have on the user. Apple is adjusting the language on the modal sheet and reducing the number of times the sheet must be displayed.

In December 2021, the Netherlands' Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) announced that Apple must let dating apps offer payment methods other than Apple's in-app purchase system in the App Store in the Netherlands, or else it would face fines. Apple proceeded to allow Dutch dating apps to use special entitlements that allow for alternative payments, but required developers to submit a separate app binary to do so.

In response, the ACM said that Apple had failed to satisfy the conditions of its order. Apple has incurred a fine of €5 million per week ever since, with the fines now totalling €50 million, and the ACM said the fines could potentially go even higher.

As part of its announcement today, Apple reiterated that it disagrees with the order and is appealing it. In the meantime, Apple said it believes that the changes announced today demonstrate the company's ongoing commitment to fulfill its legal obligations in the Netherlands. It is now up to the ACM to decide whether Apple's changes bring it into compliance with the order, but the ACM has yet to publicly announce its decision.

Tag: App Store

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Top Rated Comments

Stromos

59 months ago

Amazing people applauding this as Globant just got announced as breached today. If this happened last year I bet a bunch of these would be using Globant built payment systems.

Sure install what you want give your info everywhere. The more you have out there the less chance of it being compromised! /s

Saving that imaginary 1.99 on that app (imaginary in that no company is going to lower prices they are just gonna pocket it) was really worth the emptied bank account.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Chaos215bar2

59 months ago

Amazing people applauding this as Globant just got announced as breached today. If this happened last year I bet a bunch of these would be using Globant built payment systems.

Sure install what you want give your info everywhere. The more you have out there the less chance of it being compromised! /s

Saving that imaginary 1.99 on that app (imaginary in that no company is going to lower prices they are just gonna pocket it) was really worth the emptied bank account.

Because obviously there's only one company in the entire world capable of securely handling payment processing. (And, you know, every time someone's payment information is compromised, they inevitably lose their entire life savings.)

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Stromos

59 months ago

Because obviously there's only one company in the entire world capable of securely handling payment processing. (And, you know, every time someone's payment information is compromised, they inevitably lose their entire life savings.)

You might have read today that Apple releases customer information to “hackers”

Both completely missing the concept of having your information in less places is more secure. Do I want to trust Apple or do I want to trust Apple, Amazon, Epic, Microsoft, Joe blow A, Joe blow B, Joe blow C.

If the whole thing is about these poor companies can't pay Apple their cut do you really think they are going to spend a ton of money standing up their own system? Or are they going to outsource to the lowest bidder that still can skid past a PCI audit?

Please continue to fight to pay for risk.

I honestly think it isn't about the 30% in the first place. It's that fact that they can't track you. They don't just want you to pay exactly what you are paying today they want you to pay and also give them all the personal information Apple anonymizes. They want you to have to deal with them directly for refunds and cancellations. They want you to "trust" them.

The best part is people will still blame Apple/iPhones when it hits the fan.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

vipergts2207

59 months ago

Lol glad to see Apple caving. According to many folks here, Apple would just eat the “puny fines” or pull out of the Netherlands.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

GMShadow

59 months ago

Nice try, but I would charge Apple another 5million if the Apple Tax for alternative payment options is still alive.
Otherwise, next please. DMA please.

Why should greedy devs be allowed to sell stuff on the App Store for free?

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)