The Netherlands

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). 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 ...

Apple is today rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone in the Netherlands, according to iCulture.nl, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal. Introduced in February 2022, the feature allows compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, using only an ...

Apple Watch's Running Track Detection feature has gone live in France and the Netherlands, according to French tech blog WatchGeneration. With Track Detection, the Apple Watch uses an Apple Maps database and GPS to automatically detect when you step on to an outdoor running track. In the Workout app, you can select which lane of the track you are running in and receive more accurate...

Following a months-long saga, the competition regulator in the Netherlands has finally accepted concessions by Apple to allow dating apps in the App Store to use alternative payment methods (via Reuters). On Friday, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) released an update stating that "Apple now complies with the rules" regarding dating apps' ability to let their customers pay in...

Apple today announced further changes to its App Store rules for dating apps in the Netherlands in an attempt to comply with requirements put in place by the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). Apple says that after "productive conversations" with the ACM, it is making the following updates:- Developers of dating apps in the Netherlands can use the StoreKit External Purchase...

Apple is facing a new multibillion-euro lawsuit out of The Netherlands that alleges the company overcharges users who purchase apps and in-app subscriptions through the App Store and accuses Apple of partaking in "market dominance" and "anti-competitive practices." The foundation spearheading the lawsuit is the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation, which describes itself as "an independent ...

Apple is facing yet another €5 million ($5.5 million) fine in the Netherlands for failing to sufficiently meet recently mandated alternative payment system requirements for dating apps, reports Reuters. Apple has been fined €45 million ($49.5 million) by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to date, with Apple racking up a new fine each week. The ACM initially said that it...

Apple today started taking orders for the HomePod mini in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland for the first time, as spotted by iCulture. Apple said earlier this month that it would make the ‌HomePod mini‌ available to order in the above countries by the end of March, but never gave a specific release date. The speaker also gained support for languages spoken in those countries as...

Apple has been hit with its ninth €5 million ($5.5 million) fine in the Netherlands for ostensibly continuing to insufficiently meet new requirements regarding alternative payment systems for dating apps, Reuters reports. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) said that Apple had sent it "new proposals" on Monday in an attempt to resolve the company's dispute over allowing...

Amid an ongoing dispute with the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) in the Netherlands over the App Store, Apple has defended its plan to require app developers to submit an additional app binary for the Dutch storefront if they wish to use a third-party payment processing method. The ACM has ruled that Apple must allow dating apps in the Netherlands to use third-party payment...

Apple would rather pay a maximum of €50 million in fines than address concerns brought forward by the Dutch competition authority regarding developer access to third-party payment methods on the App Store, the EU's head of digital policy, Margrethe Vestager, has said. During a speech about the digital economy and privacy (via TechCrunch), Vestager said that Apple "essentially prefers paying...

Apple has praised Dutch police as well as customers and staff at an Amsterdam store where a hostage situation yesterday came to a close with no injuries to the public and the suspect detained in custody. In a statement obtained by TechCrunch, Apple said that all employees and customers are safe after the "terrifying experience" at Apple Amsterdam in Leidseplein on Tuesday. "We want to thank ...

Apple has added Dutch language voice recognition support for Siri in the latest HomePod 15.4 beta, further preparing the HomePod mini for release in the Netherlands in the near future. The addition of voice recognition, spotted by iCulture, means ‌HomePod‌ or ‌HomePod mini‌ will be able to identify who is talking to it in a Dutch-speaking multi-person household so they can make personal...

Apple says it will take 27% commission on purchases made in dating apps through third-party payment options in the Netherlands, in compliance with a Dutch regulatory ruling. In an update on its developer support site, Apple said it would collect 27% commission instead of its usual 30% on transactions made in dating apps that use alternative payment methods. Apple says the decreased...

Apple has announced that it will allow third-party payment options for in-app purchases for dating apps in the Netherlands, in the first ever concession of its kind. In a message posted on its developer site late on Friday, Apple announced that it will comply with a Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) ruling that compels the company to allow third-party payment services to...

Dutch bank de Volksbank has said it is bringing Apple Pay support to all its customers soon, including those of its subsidiary banks, reports iCulture. De Volksbank is the parent company of SNS, ASN Bank, and RegioBank, all of which operate in the Netherlands. "‌Apple Pay‌ will be made possible for the customers of SNS, ASN Bank and RegioBank," a De Volksbank spokesperson told iCulture,...

Starting with iOS 14.5, Apple Maps gained the ability for users in the United States to report incidents, such as accidents, speed checks, hazards, and more. Now, the feature has been expanded to ‌Apple Maps‌ users in the Netherlands. According to iCultre, Apple has expanded the feature for ‌Apple Maps‌ users in the Netherlands, and this expansion follows the addition of other features for ‌A...

Dutch tech blog iCulture this morning reported that Apple Maps is now showing speed camera information in at least some parts of the Netherlands, suggesting Apple is in the process of rolling out the feature in more countries. Image via iCulture While navigating in-car with ‌Apple Maps‌ via CarPlay or on iPhone, drivers in a region where the speed camera feature is available are alerted to ...

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, or ACM for short, is reportedly nearing a draft decision in its investigation into Apple over rules that require developers to use its in-app payment system, which charges commissions of between 15% and 30%. According to Reuters, the ACM revealed that the draft decision was nearing completion in letters sent this month to some of the...

Apple seems to have expanded Apple Maps transit information and the 3D view feature in Portugal and the Netherlands. According to iCulture, Apple has added 3D rendering of satelite images to the cities of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Zandvoort, Bloemendaal, Heemstede, Hoofddorp, Zaandam, and Aalsmeer. Previously, only Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Utrecht were viewable in 3D in the Netherlands. Flyover ...