Apple (AAPL, Financial) is set to propose further modifications to its App Store policies to European Union regulators, aiming to avert additional fines under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). After being fined 500 million euros (approximately 580 million USD), Apple is moving to address EU's demands by submitting a new proposal to ease restrictions on third-party developers. This change is intended to mitigate accusations of market dominance abuse and prevent further penalties. Both the EU Commission and Apple have yet to comment publicly on the matter.
This development follows the EU's April punishment of Apple for not adhering to DMA guidelines, which allegedly hampered music streaming competitors. Apple had countered these claims, arguing against discrimination and planning to appeal the fines. Other tech giants like Meta Platforms (META), with its Facebook and Instagram services, have also faced regulatory action, incurring fines of 200 million euros.
The EU's stringent enforcement has previously seen fines of over 8 billion USD against Google (GOOGL) and scrutiny over Apple's iPhone Tap & GO feature, as well as investigations into Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft's (MSFT) business practices. If Apple fails to submit a satisfactory proposal by the deadline, formal charges may be pursued by the EU.
