According to TechCrunch, the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) is set to impose its first fine on Apple, marking a significant development in the bloc's regulatory efforts against major tech companies. Since March, the EU has been investigating several tech giants, known as gatekeepers, under this flagship market contestability regulation. Apple is now at the forefront of these investigations due to its App Store policies.
In June, the EU shared preliminary findings with Apple, emphasizing that developers should have the freedom to inform users about alternative purchasing options outside of the App Store. Despite this, Apple has reportedly continued to implement new fees, attempting to circumvent the DMA's requirements that aim to allow developers to bypass the traditional App Store commission. This ongoing situation has led to the EU drafting a decision on the case, which could be finalized later this month.
While the exact amount of the potential fine has not been disclosed, the DMA permits penalties of up to 10% of a company's global annual turnover. For Apple, this could mean a fine amounting to tens of billions of dollars, given its substantial revenue. Apple has been approached for comment on the matter, but no response has been reported yet.
