The Dutch Consumer and Markets Authority forced the Cupertino-based company last January to allow third-party dating apps available on the App Store include alternative payment methods.
Apple said the developers of the apps should release another independent app, one for customers in the country and another for the rest of the countries. Additionally, the company also announced that would charge a 27% commission on all purchases made using third-party methods.
The Dutch Consumer and Markets Authority has announced that it will fine Apple 5 million dollars for each week that it does not apply this measure. with a maximum of 50 million.
Since the date, Apple has accumulated 25 million dollars in penalties and everything seems to indicate that will continue like this.
During a speech on the digital economy and privacy, Margrethe Vestager, European Union Commissioner for Competitionclaimed that Apple “essentially prefers to pay regular fines, rather than comply with a decision of the Dutch competition authority on the terms of third-party access” to the App Store.
Effective enforcement, including the Commission having sufficient resources to do so, will be key to ensuring compliance.
Some goalies may be tempted to stall or try to circumvent the rules. Apple’s conduct in the Netherlands these days may be an example of this.
From what we understand, Apple essentially prefers to pay regular fines, rather than comply with a decision of the Dutch competition authority on the conditions for third-party access to its App Store.
Opening up the App Store to third party payers for a certain type of app is the first step for the European Union to require you to implement it in all applications.
Regarding the 27% commission that Apple wants getting pocketed despite not processing paymentswill also be investigated by the European Union.
