The Netherlands’ competition regulator is finally happy with Apple’s concessions to allow dating apps on the market to use alternative payment technologies. On Friday night, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) provided an update on the months-long saga that drew high-level attention to Apple’s approach to complying with competition orders, saying the tech giant had changed unfair terms it had been imposing after a regulator order to allow dating apps to use non-Apple payment technology to process in-app purchases. “Until recently, dating app customers could only pay using the payment method imposed by Apple. In ACM’s opinion, Apple abused its dominant position with these practices,” ACM wrote in the update. “From now on, dating app providers can allow their customers to pay in different ways.” The ACM has imposed a series of fines on Apple since January, totaling 50 million euros, for failing to comply with its order, and warned that it could impose more penalties if Apple did not resolve its concerns. The watchdog had been considering a revised offer Apple made in March, after finding problems with the way Apple had implemented previous concessions and judging the conditions it applied as “unreasonable”, as well as accusing it of creating an “unnecessary barrier”. ” for dating app developers “Apple is now compliant,” the regulator added. “This is why ACM no longer needs to impose a new order subject to periodic penalty payments. In recent months, ACM had collected information from dating app providers and independent experts before assessing Apple’s compliance with the order.” Commenting in a statement, Martijn Snoep, chairman of the ACM board, also said: “We want everyone to be able to reap the benefits of the digital economy. In the digital economy, powerful companies have a special responsibility to keep the marketplace fair and open. Apple avoided that responsibility and abused its dominant position against dating app providers. We are glad that Apple has finally brought its conditions in line with the European and Dutch competition rules. That gives app providers more opportunities to compete. And ultimately consumers will reap the benefits as well.” The details of exactly how Apple revised its grant to satisfy the ACM aren’t immediately clear, but, among a series of tweaks to its original offer, Apple previously removed the requirement that dating apps compile a separate binary that the regulator had considered too onerous. In the documentation for developers distributing dating apps in the Netherlands, Apple confirms that they can do one of the following: continue to use Apple’s in-app purchase system, use a third-party payment system within the application, include a link within the application that directs users to the developer’s website to complete a purchase, or use a third-party payment system within the application and include a link that directs users to the developer’s website. developer to complete a purchase. “Dating app developers who wish to continue using Apple’s in-app purchase system can do so and no further action is needed. Those who wish to use a different payment system will need to apply for the StoreKit External Purchase Right or the StoreKit External Purchase Link Right, or both,” Apple also writes. “Rights complying with the ACM order are only available for dating apps on the Netherlands App Store, and apps distributed pursuant to those rights must only be used in an iOS and/or iPadOS app on the Netherlands App Store. the Netherlands. Apple will review each dating app submitted to ensure it complies with the terms and conditions of the entitlement, as well as the App Store Review Guidelines and the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. The original ACM order to Apple dates back to August 2021, but full details have yet to be released as they remain sealed by the court following legal action by Apple, which filed an objection to the order and managed to stay part of it. of her until after that (ongoing). ) the objection procedure against the entire order is completed. Although the court allowed the ACM to publish a part of the decision and impose periodic fines on Apple for non-compliance. Apple has been contacted for comment.
