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La Haye (AFP) – The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) on Monday imposed an initial fine of five million euros on Apple, which might increase to up to 50 million euros, for the payment terms imposed on application providers of meet in the App store.
The regulator believes that dating application providers should be able to use other payment systems in addition to Apple’s system in the App Store, its essential platform for downloading applications on its smartphones and tablets.
The ACM last month demanded that Apple change the payment terms for providers of dating apps on the App Store, calling them “unreasonable”.
A Dutch judge had given Apple until January 15 to make the changes.
The Apple brand submitted a statement to the ACM last week, saying the company had made the necessary adjustments.
But according to the ACM, “Apple hasn’t adjusted its terms so dating app providers still can’t use other payment systems.”
For example, it looks like Apple is forcing app providers to make a choice: either a reference to payment options outside of the app, or an alternative payment system. However, “Both options must be available,” said the ACM in a statement.
If the Apple brand does not act in accordance with the charge, it will be fined €5 million each week, up to a maximum of €50 million, the ACM warned.
Contacted by AFP, Apple did not immediately react.
Since October, Apple has allowed mobile application publishers to contact their users directly and offer them payment methods not controlled by the App Store.
These changes were proposed in late August to end lawsuits once morest small companies that build apps. This now allows them to bypass the payment system previously imposed by Apple, which loses its 15 or 30% commission.
But this concession does not satisfy many publishers, especially of mobile video games, such as Epic Games, the studio responsible for the very popular game Fortnite, which has sued Apple, accusing it of monopoly.
In September, an American judge partially cleared Apple of these accusations while ordering it to no longer impose its payment system within applications.
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