Apple’s App Store “steering” policies violate the EU’s Digital Markets Act meant to encourage competition, said regulators in their preliminary ruling Monday. The European Commission has also opened a new investigation into Apple’s support for alternative iOS marketplaces in Europe, including the core technology fee it charges developers. “Our preliminary position is that Apple does not fully allow steering,” said Margrethe Vestager who heads up competition policy in Europe.
Apple has time to respond to the European Commission’s preliminary assessment ahead of its final ruling before March 2025. A final infringement ruling could see Apple fined up to 10 percent of its annual global revenue, or $38 billion based on last year’s numbers. That increases to 20 percent for repeat infringements. The European Commission has also opened new proceedings into Apple’s support for alternative iOS app stores.