Developers Urge EU to Take Stricter Action Against Apple’s Fees
A coalition of app developers and consumer protection groups has sent a formal letter to the European Commission regarding Apple’s business practices. The group argues that the tech giant is failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), specifically concerning its fee structure for the App Store.
The letter, signed by organizations such as the Coalition for App Fairness, claims that Apple’s current policies effectively mock the new regulations. They highlight that the Core Technology Fee and other commissions make it prohibitively expensive for developers to do business outside of Apple’s walled garden.
Critics point out that recent legal developments in the United States have actually left European developers in a worse position than their American counterparts. While a US court ruling recently struck down certain fees for external payments, EU developers are still subject to Apple’s complex new charging model.
The signatories argue that the DMA was designed to foster fair competition, yet the current reality forces developers to choose between bad terms and worse terms. They note that the Core Technology Fee, which charges for app installs after a certain threshold, is particularly damaging to freemium apps that rely on high volume.
Another major point of contention involves the user interface warnings known as “scare screens.” These pop-ups appear when a user attempts to download an app from an alternative marketplace or use a third-party payment system.
The coalition asserts that these ominous warnings are designed to frighten users and discourage them from leaving the App Store ecosystem. They believe this directly contradicts the DMA’s goal of enabling true consumer choice and steering rights.
Apple has defended its approach by stating that the fees reflect the value of its platform and the technology it provides to developers. However, the letter urges the European Commission to look past these defenses and enforce the law as it was intended.
The group is calling for immediate action to ensure that “free of charge” steering actually means no fees are attached. They warn that without strict enforcement, the legislation will fail to change the status quo for digital markets in Europe.
We are interested to know if you believe the European Commission should impose harsher penalties on Apple for its current fee structure. Let us know your thoughts on this situation in the comments.
