Court Upholds Regulator's Case Against Apple Over App Store

Apple has lost a legal challenge in the Netherlands after a Dutch court ruled that the company abused its dominant market position by imposing restrictive payment terms on dating app developers (via Reuters).

iOS App Store General Feature Black

The ruling was issued earlier today by the Rotterdam District Court, confirming a 2021 decision by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which found that Apple violated European Union competition laws by forcing dating app developers to use its proprietary in-app payment system, prohibiting them from directing users to alternative payment methods, and charging commissions of up to 30% on transactions.

The court's decision means that the ACM's prior enforcement actions still stand, including a significant penalty for non-compliance. In a statement provided to Reuters following the ruling, an Apple spokesperson said the company would appeal the decision:

This ruling undermines the technology and tools we've created to benefit developers and protect users' privacy and security, and we plan to appeal.

The ACM initially ordered Apple in August 2021 to revise its policies for dating apps distributed via the Dutch App Store. Apple was told to allow developers of these apps to either integrate an alternative payment system or direct users to external payment options. When Apple failed to implement these changes in a manner the ACM deemed sufficient, the regulator imposed a series of weekly fines totaling €50 million. The case in the Netherlands is part of broader ongoing international scrutiny of Apple's ‌App Store‌ practices.

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Top Rated Comments

con2apple Avatar
16 weeks ago
It's truly unbelievable how many courts and legal systems have been subverted to destroy our great, innovative Apple. The App Store, which operates at cost price and has an admirable editorial team for lovable games and great apps, is being attacked from all sides.
At first, we thought it was just Apple haters in the EU. But now there are countries like South Korea, Japan, and even US states. Everywhere, they want to destroy our poor little company with illegal and crazy laws.

Cancel their Apple accounts! Block their Apple devices! Advertise these nefarious and dishonorable attacks!

MAKE APPLE GREAT AGAIN
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
16 weeks ago
Apple is batting a zero, everywhere.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cateye Avatar
16 weeks ago

Apple is batting a zero, everywhere.
One wonders how long they'll keep tilting at this particular windmill. So obsessively fixated on keeping their skim, they'll end up giving away the entire value structure of the App Store through court loss after court loss.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
16 weeks ago

It’s such a shame that all these governments are suddenly regulating apple’s app store
They all can’t be wrong?
They are all wrong.
Apple is god.
Business interests are more important than any other concerns.

If they are restrained in any way, innovation will grind to a halt and we may as well go back to the dark ages.

All of this is even in the Bible I'm pretty sure.

/s
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
16 weeks ago

Good Apple. Keep appealing.
Keep appealing and keep losing is Apple's go-to these days.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
16 weeks ago
Good Apple. Keep appealing.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)