Report: EU set to fine Apple for failing to comply with the DMA

According to a new report from the Financial Times, the European Union is planning to hit Apple with a fine for failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act. This would make Apple the first company to be fined for not complying with the DMA, and it could be announced “in the coming weeks.”

Apple announced its DMA compliance plans in January and rolled them out with iOS 17.4 in March, including a significant reduction in App Store commissions. In the months since January, Apple has made a number of changes to its original plans, including revising app marketplaces requirements, changing the Core Technology Fee structure, adding Web Distribution, and more.

Still, the European Union believes Apple hasn’t gone far enough. According to today’s report, the European Commission believes that Apple “is not complying with obligations to allow app developers to ‘steer’ users to offers outside of the App Store without imposing fees on them.”

If the European Commission moves forward, the fine could be as high as 5% of Apple’s “average daily worldwide turnover,” which currently equates to over $1 billion.

The report, citing three people familiar with the matter, cautions that the EU has only made “preliminary findings” and that Apple could still make changes to avoid a fine.

Apple is adamant that its changes comply with the DMA, saying multiple times: “We’re confident our plan complies with the DMA, and we’ll continue to constructively engage with the European Commission as they conduct their investigations.”