Apple is being reprimanded by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets for its policy on dating apps in the Netherlands. The manufacturer of the iPhone and iPad can risk a fine of up to five million euros. What is going on?
In August last year, ACM already demanded that Apple adjust its policy so that developers of dating apps can also offer payment options other than Apple’s. The Dutch watchdog now states that Apple has hardly made any improvements to its App Store policy.
Earlier in January, Apple made some adjustments to its App Store policy, but this is not enough to satisfy the watchdog. According to ACM, developers of dating apps still cannot freely choose between the various payment options. According to the regulator, dating app providers can now only show their ‘interest’ in other payment options. What this means is not even clear to the regulator.
“In addition, Apple is raising a number of barriers for dating app providers to use a different payment system,” said ACM. “For example, it seems that Apple obliges the app providers to make a choice; either a reference to payment options outside the app or an alternative payment system.”
“That is not allowed,” concludes the watchdog.
Penalty sum up to 50 million euros
Apple must act quickly not to run into a fine of 5 million euros. If that does not work, an additional 5 million euros per week will be added to a maximum of 50 million euros.
Conflict with Epic
Apple is often in conflict with app builders, especially the dispute with Epic Games pops out. Apple withholds 30% from sales made in apps, but Epic thought this percentage was too high and launched its own payment system for the Fortnite app. The game was subsequently removed from the App Store by Apple. The US court ruled that Apple must make changes to the App Store to allow purchases outside the App Store. So far, Apple has made no such changes.
The question therefore remains whether Apple will actually implement changes in the App Store at the insistence of the American court and the ACM, among others. With a turnover of more than 100 billion dollars last year, the company will probably not lose sleep over a maximum penalty of 50 million euros, which the ACM imposes in the worst case.
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