The European Union is set to bring charges against Apple for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to a report from the Financial Times.
Per sources with knowledge of the matter, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, believes Apple has failed to comply with the DMA’s directives of allowing app developers to “steer” users toward offers and payment options outside the App Store without charging any fees.
This comes less than three months after the European Commission opened non-compliance investigations into Apple and fellow tech giants Google and Meta. The EU is expected to announce the charges against Apple in the coming weeks, the sources said. If that comes to pass, Apple would be the first tech company charged under the DMA’s newly-established rules.
Apple declined to comment on the matter, instead highlighting an earlier statement: “We’re confident our plan complies with the DMA, and we’ll continue to constructively engage with the European Commission as they conduct their investigations.”
If found to be violating the DMA, Apple is looking at daily penalties of up to 5% of its average daily worldwide turnover, which is currently just over $1 billion USD.
The sources said that EU regulators have only made preliminary findings as of yet, so there’s a chance Apple could still avoid charges altogether by taking action to assuage their concerns. In addition, the timing of any announcement of a lawsuit could also change.
The threat of yet another antitrust case comes as regulators and governments the world over try to tighten their hold on Big Tech to curb monopolies and increase competition. In the U.S., Apple was hit with a major lawsuit targeting its iCloud dominance back in March.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act is landmark legislation designed to compel large companies designated as “online gatekeepers” to open up their businesses and platforms to competition. In January, Apple announced plans to allow sideloading and third-party app markets on its platforms to comply with the DMA.
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The citizens of the EU obviously don't have a problem with how Apple runs things or they wouldn't have purchased the devices and services. All o the "apps" that are sold on the store similarly went into the process knowing how it all works. More than a couple of these companies complaining are run by multi billionaires, so it is difficult to have sympathy for them. I'm not saying Apple runs things perfectly – they don't. But I don't see millions of Apple users rebelling, just a few companies who stand to profit, and a few complainers who will chime in.