The week does not start well for Apple. You may remember that, after an investigation by a regulator in the Netherlands, it determined that Apple should allow dating apps to use links to external payment methods, instead of always being forced to checkout through the dating platform. Apple payments, which is the one that prevails in iOS and, therefore, in the iPhone, a measure that seems to be extended in the short and medium term, as the agreement with South Korea already confirms.
In response to the demands of the Dutch regulator, Apple presented a proposal that, yes, had to go through the approval of the regulator, which, in turn, would present it to the companies affected by this measure. And why only dating apps? Because despite the fact that the regulator had been conducting an investigation in this regard for some time, it was these services that filed a claim in this regard with the authorities. Thus, it is easy to imagine that many others will join the same demand, even more so if we take into account the Korean precedent.
However, it seems that the Netherlands Consumer and Markets Authority does not agree with the way in which Apple has implemented the alternative payment and, as reported by Reuters, the company will have to face the third payment of the fine imposed by the regulator.
As we told you at the time, an economic penalty was established for which Apple would have to pay cfive million euros for each week of default, with a limit of ten weeks and fifty million euros, of which the company has already reached the first fifteen. Now the big question is whether Apple will act quickly to prevent the account from increasing or if, on the contrary, its numbers will signal to the company that it is better to maintain the current situation.
According to the agency, the regulator would not have received, from Apple, all the information it considers necessary to assess whether the company has complied correctly. But beyond that, the main problem would be that Apple has introduced several steps, mandatory for developers, which de facto would be becoming obstacles to the implementation of alternative means of payment. Something that must be added to the discontent, on the part of developers, to the 27% commission imposed by Apple in the case of payments through third-party platforms.
Interestingly, this measure comes at the same time as an announcement by Apple of its plans to reduce the commissions it charges developers. It is becoming increasingly clear that regulators have their sights set on Apple, and that the company must take action or else What happened in the Netherlands will most likely be just the prologue to what we will see in many other regions..
