Key Points
- A group of European app developers is asking the EU to enforce laws against Apple.
- They claim Apple is illegally charging fees for payments made outside the App Store.
- The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires these outside payments to be free of charge.
- The developers argue this puts them at an unfair disadvantage compared to U.S. rivals.
A coalition of European app developers is demanding that regulators crack down on Apple. They accuse the tech giant of ignoring a major EU law by continuing to charge hefty fees on payments made outside the App Store. The group says this puts them at an unfair disadvantage compared to their American rivals, who recently got a more favorable court ruling.
The issue centers on the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). This powerful law, which took effect in 2023, requires tech “gatekeepers” like Apple to allow developers to process in-app payments through third-party systems without charging a fee.
The European Commission has already fined Apple €500 million for blocking developers from pointing users to other payment options. In response, Apple changed its rules, but it still charges fees ranging from 13% to 20% on outside transactions. The Coalition for Apps Fairness (CAF), which includes companies such as Deezer, argues that these new fees are merely a workaround and still violate the letter and spirit of the law.
“This situation is untenable and damaging to the app economy,” the coalition said. A spokesperson for the group, Gene Burrus, explained that developers either have to eat the cost of these fees or pass them on to their customers. “It is bad for European companies, and it is bad for European consumers,” he said.
The developers are growing impatient, saying it’s been six months since the Commission declared Apple’s policies illegal. While Apple has promised more changes in January, it hasn’t provided any details. The coalition is now urging the EU to take action.
“We want the EU Commission to tell Apple that the law is the law and that free of charge means free of charge,” Burrus said.
