The European Commission increases the tone. A month after having inflicted on Apple A record fine of 500 million euros For non-compliance with Digital Markets Act (DMA)Brussels is launching a new regulatory offensive. The Californian giant now has 30 days to adapt its rules of the App Storeunder penalty of undergoing Daily financial sanctions up to compliance.
What Brussels criticizes Apple
The procedure concerns specifically Article 5 (4) of DMAwhich imposes on the Gatekeepers – these large intermediation platforms designated as dominant – of Allow applications of applications to communicate, promote and conclude contracts with their users, for free, including outside the Gatekeeper platform.
However, according to the Commission, Apple continues to impose Technical and contractual restrictions deemed incompatible with the law:
- Prohibition to use webviews to direct users outside the app;
- Taxation of a Commission of 17 to 27 % On the transactions carried out within 7 days of an external redirection (link-out);
- Deterrent warning screen imposed on users before the Apple environment released;
- Limitation to a single external URL per app and by country.
These practices are deemed ENVENTORS FOR COMPETITIONand in direct violation of the DMA, entered into force in March 2024.
Apple disputes the decision
Apple reacted by a Laconic press release published shortly after the notification of the Commission’s 70 -page report:
“There is nothing in the 70 -page decision published today which justifies the targeted actions of the European Commission against Apple. These threaten the confidentiality and security of our users in Europe, and forces us to sell our technology for free. »»
“Their decision, as well as the unprecedented fine that accompanies it, intervene after the Commission continually moved the objectives of conformity and repeatedly blocked the efforts that we have made for months to implement a new solution. »»
“This decision is bad for innovation, bad for competition, bad for our products, and bad for users. »»
“Pending our call, we will continue to dialogue with the Commission to defend the interests of our European customers. »»
An emblematic showdown for the future of DMA
This sequence crystallizes the growing tensions between European regulation of digital markets And Big Tech economic models. Apple becomes the First actor sanctioned at this stage by the DMAand this case could jurisprudence.
If Apple does not change its conditions from here End of June 2025the commission could Impose daily on -call duty of up to 5 % of daily global turnover. The company has announced its intention to appeal, potentially opening a long -term conflict before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
