The Dutch Authority for Consumers and the Market (ACM) has decided to bang its fist on the table. In decision published on January 24 (pdf), she criticizes Apple for not having opened the payment system on the App Store for dating apps as she had demanded a month earlier.
Up to 50 million euros in fines for Apple
As long as Apple persists in preventing app developers from setting up an in-app payment system different from its own or from redirecting to a third-party payment site, Cupertino will have to pay a 5 million euro fine per week. The sum could reach 50 million euros.
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Since 2019 the ACM has been investigating Apple’s in-app payment system. Such a vast subject that the authority decided to turn to a specific complaint, that of Match Group. The dating application company, Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com, accuses Apple of abusing its dominant position by imposing a payment system with 15% to 30% commission.
In August 2021, the ACM issued an order proving Match Group in favor and applying to all dating apps. From procedure to procedure, it was only on December 24 that a Dutch court forced Apple to comply with the decision under penalty of a fine.
Cupertino had until January 15 to comply, which the company said they had done. This is not the opinion of the ACM, ” Most importantly, Apple hasn’t adapted its terms, so dating app providers still can’t use other payment systems. “Explains the authority in a press release.
The coming wave
50 million euros is anecdotal for the American multinational, but the sanctions and draft measures tend to accumulate. A law imposing the opening of the system has been implemented in South Korea, a bill exists in the United States in parallel with a legal procedure, an investigation has been launched by the European Commission, in India…
Apple is defending itself on all fronts, tirelessly repeating that opening up its payment system would pose problems for the security of its users and the quality of the App Store.
In an attempt to lower the pressure, Cupertino loose ballast. Reading platforms, Netflix, Spotify, etc. may or may refer to third-party payment sites, a Japanese sanction extended on its own by the company. Apple will nevertheless fight to the end to keep its very valuable 15% to 30% commissions.