Apple tweaks App Store rules to avoid EU fine
US tech giant Apple has made changes to its App Store in a bid to avoid a billion-dollar fine from the European Commission for breaking European competition rules.
In June, the Commission said Apple risked a fine of up to 10 per cent of its global turnover, which amounted to 383 billion dollars in 2023. The company's App Store rules violated the Digital Markets Act by preventing app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content, the Commission said.
Apple is now taking steps to avoid such a fine. App developers in Europe will be given more options to direct their users to external and cheaper offers via links, and a new fee structure for transactions via such links will be introduced.
The changes would come into effect with the release of the new operating system in the autumn. It is not yet clear whether they will be sufficient for the Commission, which had planned to make a decision on the matter by March 2025.
© PHOTO GREG BAKER / AFP
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