Apple announced changes to the App Store in Europe Thursday to meet the deadline imposed by the European Commission to bring its payment policies into compliance with the Digital Markets Act and avoid additional penalties. App developers in the EU will now be able to link to alternative payment methods for subscriptions and in-app purchases outside the App store. Apple also announced a modified Core Technology Fee, offering developers different payment levels based on the number of App Store services they want to implement.
The Commission had no immediate response as to whether the changes will be sufficient for Apple to avoid escalating penalties beyond the €500 million ($585 million) fine imposed in April.
“As part of this assessment the Commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps,” a Commission spokesperson said in a statement to the press.
Meta Platforms, which was also fined and is facing the threat of additional penalties for non-compliance with the DMA, remains at odds with the Commission, however.
Meta announced a new pay-or-play plan in November 2023, under which users must either consent to allowing their data to be used for personalized ads, or pay for an ad-free experience. It made modifications to the plan in Europe in November 2024 after the Commission ruled the policy violates the DMA. In April, the Commission slapped a €200 million ($234 million) fine on the Facebook and Instagram parent for non-compliance up through November, but said it would need 60 days to evaluate whether the changes made were sufficient to prevent additional penalties.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commission said it “cannot confirm at this stage if these are sufficient to comply with the main parameters of compliance outlined in its non-compliance Decision. With this in mind, we will consider the next steps, including recalling that continuous non-compliance could entail the application of periodic penalty payments running as of 27 June 2025, as indicated in the non-compliance decision.”
Meta sharply criticized the Commission in a statement also issued on Thursday, accusing it of discriminating against the company’s business model.
“The European Commission continues to discriminate against an American company’s business model that is linked to €213 billion in economic activity and supports 1.44 million jobs across the EU,” Meta’s spokesperson said. “A user choice between a subscription for no ads service or a free ad supported service remains a legitimate business model for every company in Europe – except Meta.”
Apple also issued a statement critical of the Commission Thursday, but in a more measured tone.
“The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal.”
