Apple has again been fined a further 5 million euros over its ongoing spat over whether Dutch dating apps should be allowed to use third-party payment systems in apps distributed via the App Store.
Last week, Netherland’s antitrust regulator was reviewing Apple’s latest round of App Store changes to assess whether it complied with national law. Today, The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has stated that “Apple’s new terms for payments for dating apps are unreasonable and create an additional barrier. Apple still does not meet the requirement.”
According to a new report from Reuters, the ACM has been hitting Apple with a five million euro — or around $7.2 million CAD — fine each week since the original January 15 deadline was broken. Apple was ordered to allow third-party payments and has so far not managed to do so.
This is the fourth penalty payment Apple has received from Dutch regulators following the December order for it to open up payment options for dating app providers in the Netherlands. The latest penalty brings the running total for fines to 20 million euros out of a potential maximum amount of 50 million euros.
Apple has already outlined new developer requirements that would have payments hit by a 27 percent tax even when handled outside the App Store. Apple has also offered up plans to allow developers the APIs required to make this happen — but none of it is happening quickly.
Developers and Apple watchers alike have railed against Apple’s 27 percent cut with one developer calling it “absolutely vile.”
