Apple is expected to avoid daily fines from the European Union after making changes to its App Store rules to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The EU had warned that the company could face fines of up to €50 million per day if it did not allow app developers to direct users to payment options outside the App Store. In response, Apple recently updated its policies, and EU regulators are reviewing those changes. And now the Commission is likely to accept the tech titan’s new approach, which would prevent further penalties, reports Reuters.
Notably, the Tim Cook-led company had already been fined €500 million (~ $587 million) in April 2025 for not complying with the DMA. That fine was related specifically to how the company restricted developers from informing users about alternative payment options. The EU said the tech giant’s rules made it unnecessarily difficult for users to access more affordable services outside the App Store. However, the company has filed a legal challenge against the fine, arguing that the Commission has overstepped by trying to control its operations and misinterpreted the intent of its policies.
Meanwhile, to avoid further penalties, the company recently introduced a set of new policies aimed at meeting EU requirements. Under the updated system, developers are now allowed to add unlimited external links in their apps to direct users to third-party websites where purchases can be made. Apple will charge developers a commission of between 5% and 15% on these transactions, depending on the specific case. For purchases made through the App Store, the firm has reduced its service fee from 30% to 20%, and for smaller developers participating in a special program, the fee goes down further to 13%.
The company may also make changes to its ‘Core Technology Fee’ (CTF), a charge of €0.50 per app install after a developer reaches one million annual downloads. This fee has faced strong criticism from developers and has caught the attention of EU officials, who are questioning whether it discourages competition.
According to the report, although the European Commission is still formally reviewing Apple’s latest changes, people close to the discussions indicate that the initial feedback is positive. A final decision is expected within the next few weeks. If approved, the new policies would be considered sufficient to meet Apple’s legal obligations under the DMA, and the company would avoid the risk of ongoing daily fines.
This is not the first time the tech titan has faced legal challenges and fines, especially in Europe. Earlier, in March 2024, the EU fined Apple over €1.8 billion (roughly $2 billion) for abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps to iPhone and iPad users through its App Store. The timing of these developments becomes more critical as tensions between the EU and the US continue to rise over the treatment of major American tech companies in Europe. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had accused the EU of using regulations to unfairly target US tech giants.
