Last month, Apple announced another set of major changes to the App Store in the European Union, as part of its ongoing back-and-forth with regulators about the Digital Markets Act.
According to a new report from Reuters, Apple’s latest changes just might be enough to satisfy the European Commission.
The report, citing “people with direct knowledge of the matter,” states that this latest set of App Store rules and fees will “likely secure the green light” from antitrust regulators. An announcement from the European Commission is expected “in the coming weeks, although the timing could still change.”
This means Apple will avoid any additional fines under the Digital Markets Act. The company was fined €500 million for allegedly violating the DMA in April. It faced the threat of additional daily fines if it failed to comply, but it will stave off those daily fines if the EU rules its latest App Store guidelines are sufficient under the DMA.
Under its most recent App Store changes in the EU, Apple lifted many of the guardrails around how developers can communicate with users about external payment options. The company also implemented revised business terms, split across the Initial Acquisition Fee, Store Services Fee, and Core Technology Commission. Learn more in our original coverage of those changes.
Apple, however, is still appealing that €500 million (around $570 million) initial fine, saying that it believes the European Commission’s rulings “go far beyond what the law requires.”
This means that while Apple’s latest changes may satisfy regulators under the DMA, the fight is far from over. As the appeal process continues, Apple will argue that the EU is overreaching in its requirements.
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