Dutch Regulator Still Unsatisfied With Apple's Rules Surrounding Dating Apps

The competition regulator in the Netherlands today announced that Apple's rules surrounding Dutch dating apps remain insufficient.

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
In a statement obtained by journalist Nando Kasteleijn, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) said that while Apple eliminating its requirement for Dutch dating apps to create a separate app binary in order to accept alternative payments was an improvement, the company has yet to fully comply with Dutch and European regulations. The statement did not outline the specific conditions that Apple has yet to comply with.

The ACM already fined Apple a total of €50 million between January and March for failing to comply with the order, and the competition regulator said it is now preparing a new order with additional penalties that will be published in the coming weeks.

The saga began in December 2021, when the ACM announced that Apple must let dating apps accept alternative payment methods on the App Store in the Netherlands. Apple complied with the demand, but it initially required Dutch dating apps to submit a separate app binary to accept alternative payments. Apple has since made several changes to its rules surrounding Dutch dating apps, but the ACM remains unsatisfied.

Apple previously said that while it disagrees with the order and is appealing the decision, the changes it announced on March 30 demonstrated the company's ongoing commitment to fulfill its legal obligations in the Netherlands.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...

Top Rated Comments

Mojohanna32 Avatar
42 months ago
get the feeling that no matter what Apple does, it will never be enough.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
42 months ago
If they are that dissatisfied… Apple doesn’t need to provide its services to them.

Looks like the Dutch Regulators are trying to fine Apple as much as they can. They are pushing it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CapitalIdea Avatar
42 months ago

They don't want to say it, but I'd guess it's regarding access of accounting data on dating app companies and charging 27% as commission from apps that use a third party payment provider.

Most Probably so this doesn't end up in a higher court where logic might prevail. Apple did what they wanted, to the letter, but not the "spirit" of what the regulators wanted e.g. substantially lower charges to app providers.
Exactly. They want to essentially cap what a company can charge for its product (in this case, their dev tools and infrastructure), which doesn't work in a capitalist world. If they come right out and say it, however, the blowback would be immense.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deathcab Avatar
42 months ago
"You still haven't done everything we want you to do to be in compliance, but we're also not going to tell you what it is we want you to do to be in compliance."
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Deguello Avatar
42 months ago

Because even the regulators don't know. I feel like the goal posts are continuously being moved. If I were Apple, I would not proceed without 100% knowing what to do. Give them a guidance document, STICK WITH THAT DOCUMENT, and stop moving the goalposts.
Flashbacks to being a dev: “I can‘t make it do what you want if you don’t tell me what you want it to do.”
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksec Avatar
42 months ago
The Netherland has a population of 17 million, even if every single one of them were iPhone users, Apple could easily afford to lose them and it would only be less than 1.5% of its iPhone total user. Apple's lawyer has on multiple occasion threaten to pull out of the UK or other EU countries. This is the time to show them the power.

Trust the Wisdom on Macumors. Pull out of the Netherland.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)