EU Reportedly Planning to Charge Apple for Violating Digital Markets Act

The European Commission plans to charge Apple for violating the Digital Markets Act after determining that the iPhone maker is not complying with obligations to allow app developers to "steer" users to offers outside of the App Store without fees, according to the Financial Times, which cites three people familiar with the matter.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
It appears that the EU is taking issue with Apple's Core Technology Fee, but the exact charges that it allegedly plans to bring against Apple are unclear.

Apple could face non-compliance fines of up to 5% of its average daily worldwide revenue, which is currently just over $1 billion, according to the report.

The report said the EU's findings are preliminary, so Apple may still have time to make any necessary changes on iOS before the charges are formally laid by regulators. In the event the EU moves forward with the charges, they would be formally announced by the European Commission over the "coming weeks," the report added.

Apple made major changes to the App Store, Apple Pay, Safari, and more on the iPhone in the EU as part of iOS 17.4 earlier this year. Apple now allows alternative app marketplaces, but it still charges a Core Technology Fee. Apple also introduced a default web browser selection screen in Safari, now allows third-party web browsers to use web engines other than its own WebKit engine on the iPhone, and now allows third-party mobile wallet apps to access the iPhone's NFC chip for contactless payment functionality.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence: New Features, Release Date, and More

Thursday October 10, 2024 8:26 am PDT by
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public in the coming weeks, and the software update introduces the first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released. iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence Features Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far: A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding...
16 pro

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Introduce These 5 New Features

Friday October 11, 2024 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 16 series was released just a few weeks ago, there are already many rumored features for the iPhone 17 models, and especially for the Pro models. Below, we recap five key new features rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max so far: 24MP front camera for all iPhone 17 models: All four iPhone 17 models will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.0

Thursday October 10, 2024 12:10 pm PDT by
Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.0, preventing iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.0.1 from downgrading to iOS 18. Apple released iOS 18.0.1 a week ago on October 3. It is not unusual for Apple to stop signing older versions of iOS within a week or two after a new version of iOS is released. When Apple stops signing an update, it can no longer be installed on an iPhone due to a...
When Will Apple Launch More M4 Macs Feature

Will Apple Release M4 Macs Soon? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Thursday October 10, 2024 6:22 am PDT by
Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but we are still waiting for official confirmation that the company has similar plans this year. We're approaching the middle of October now, and if Apple plans to announce new Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far. As of writing this, it's been 220 days since Apple released a new...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Tuesday October 8, 2024 5:45 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
ios 18 1 make primary

iOS 18.1 Includes Option to Set 'Primary' Email Address and Change iCloud Email

Friday October 11, 2024 3:55 pm PDT by
In iOS 18.1, there is a new option to set a "Primary" email address in the Settings app, which means it is easier to change the main email address associated with your Apple Account. The Primary email address is the one that is visible to other people when collaborating on and sharing documents, sending calendar invites, and more. Apple did not previously make it easy to change an Apple...
space black mbp

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Monday October 7, 2024 3:03 pm PDT by
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
iPad mini review thumb

iPad Mini 7 Coming Next Month: What to Expect

Tuesday October 8, 2024 6:16 am PDT by
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
17 weeks ago
Fantastic news

It's time to start with some ramifications for the continual blatant disregard for the spirit of the EU regulations and their intent

Apple apparently thinks they can just make a mockery of regulations
It's time to remind them who's in charge in a jurisdiction (not them)
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
17 weeks ago
If your idea for a multinational tech company is "leave a very large market", rather than comply with regulations of said market....

I'd question your organizational leadership ideology, quite frankly
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaSal Avatar
17 weeks ago
Good. Apple needs to comply with European law if it sells products in Europe. Just like how European countries have to comply with US law to operate in the US. It's kind of bizar how many people in this thread seem to imply that US companies somehow don't have to respect local laws. Why wouldn't they? That's how business works in every country. Any company always has to comply with the local laws of the country in which they're operating. Why would it be any different for Apple?

People also seem to be forgetting that there's also an antitrust case against Apple in the US, for many of the same reasons as in the EU.

The idea of Apple pulling out of the EU is, simply, absurd. The costs of complying are minuscule compared to the profits they'd lose if they pulled out of the EU.

Also, anyone in this thread who's enjoying playing on an emulator on their iOS device should be thanking the EU for these laws, since the Digital Markets Act is the only reason Apple now allows emulators in the App Store.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
17 weeks ago

Tickle me surprised, government not liking the outcomes of legislation, expected to be handled by company.
"Company blatantly disregarding the clear and easy to understand intent and spirit of the regulation"
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Mac Daz Avatar
17 weeks ago
It was always heading this way sooner than later
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TruthWatcher412 Avatar
17 weeks ago
So why would revenue outside of the EU jurisdiction be subject? Shouldn’t it just be the revenue in the EU where this law applies that they should be fined?
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)