Apple’s recent revisions to its App Store rules and fee structure are likely to win approval from EU antitrust authorities, according to sources familiar with the matter. This would allow the tech giant to avoid steep daily fines.
Last month, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced that developers using the App Store would now face a 20% transaction fee, with rates dropping to 13% for small businesses under Apple’s developer program.
For developers who direct users to make purchases outside the App Store, Apple will charge a fee ranging from 5% to 15%. These developers will also be allowed to use unlimited external links to guide customers to alternative payment platforms.
These policy changes come in response to an April ruling by EU regulators, which fined Apple €500 million ($586.7 million) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Regulators claimed Apple’s technical and commercial barriers unfairly prevented app developers from offering users more affordable payment options outside the App Store.
Following the ruling, Apple was given 60 days to remove these restrictions to comply with the DMA, which is designed to limit the power of Big Tech and promote fairer competition.
The European Commission is expected to give formal approval to Apple’s updated policies in the coming weeks, though the timeline could still shift, the sources said.
“All options remain on the table. We are still evaluating Apple’s proposed changes,” the EU regulatory body stated.
Apple declined to comment when contacted, but earlier this month the company said it had made the adjustments to avoid potentially massive daily fines, while also criticizing the Commission for interfering with how it manages its App Store.
Without the changes, Apple risked daily penalties of up to 5% of its average global revenue, which could have amounted to roughly €50 million per day.
