The Netherlands antitrust authority has fined Apple €5 million for failing to meet the in-app payment systems requirements it handed the company in October. And it will continue fining Apple each week until it complies.
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) previously found Apple’s in-app payment system to be anti-competitive and ordered the company to change its business practices.
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“Apple has failed to satisfy the requirements set by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) regarding payment systems for dating-app providers,” an ACM announcement explains. “ACM has come to this conclusion following an investigation into Apple’s statements of January 15, 2022. This means that Apple now has to pay ACM the first penalty payment of 5 million euros.”
According to the ACM, Apple is required to allow developers of dating apps to use third-party payment systems, and it must let those developers communicate the availability of those payment systems from inside their apps. Now, for as long as Apple refuses to comply, it will be fined 5 million euros every week up to a maximum of 50 million euros.
“Apple has failed to satisfy the requirements on several points,” the ACM explains further. “The most important one is that Apple has failed to adjust its conditions, as a result of which dating-app providers are still unable to use other payment systems. At the moment, dating-app providers can merely express their ‘interest’. In addition, Apple has raised several barriers for dating-app providers to the use of third-party payment systems. That, too, is at odds with ACM’s requirements. For example, Apple seemingly forces app providers to make a choice: either refer to payment systems outside of the app or to an alternative payment system. That is not allowed. Providers must be able to choose both options.”