Apple Appeals €500 Million Fine Over EU App Store Ruling

Apple has formally appealed a €500 million fine imposed by the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), challenging the regulator’s finding that the company’s App Store practices illegally limited app developers from offering alternative purchase options.

April 22 Decision: Apple Found Non-Compliant With DMA

In its official announcement on April 22, 2025, the Commission determined that Apple had failed to comply with anti-steering obligations set out by the DMA. These rules require that developers distributing apps via the App Store be allowed to inform customers of alternative offers, steer them to those offers, and enable external purchases—free of charge.

However, the Commission concluded that Apple imposed “technical and commercial restrictions” that prevented developers from fully using alternative channels. Consumers, in turn, were unable to benefit from cheaper external offers because developers were barred from informing them.

According to the EU, Apple failed to demonstrate that these restrictions were “objectively necessary and proportionate.” The decision ordered Apple to eliminate the non-compliant conduct and not adopt any behavior with a similar effect in the future.

While the steering decision resulted in a fine, a related investigation into Apple’s user choice obligations was closed without penalties after what the Commission called Apple’s “early and proactive engagement.” (More on both decisions.)

Apple Responds: EU Overstepping Legal Limits

Apple announced its formal appeal on July 7, criticizing the Commission’s decision as overreaching. The company stated:

In an earlier response following the April decision, Apple claimed the Commission was “unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for the privacy and security of our users.”

June Changes: Policy Overhaul, But Questions Remain

Apple issued an updated set of developer guidelines for EU markets on June 26, aimed at addressing the steering compliance mandate. However, these updates were rushed, and many developers criticized them for being convoluted and incomplete.

Experts believe Apple acted quickly to avoid accumulating daily penalties from the Commission, even before fee implications were fully finalized. According to critics, the update appears more like a placeholder than a clear and functional set of reforms.

Developers must now navigate complex structures involving new fees, disclosure terms, and unclear user experience policies—raising concern that Apple is still not offering full compliance in spirit or function.

Appeal Headed to EU Court

The appeal will be reviewed by the EU General Court in Luxembourg. Legal analysts expect the case to set a benchmark on how far the EU can go in imposing structural changes on platform business models under the DMA.

Depending on the outcome, the judgment could also influence compliance approaches by other tech giants designated as gatekeepers, including Google, Meta, and Amazon, all of whom are under DMA scrutiny.

(with reporting from the European Commission, Apple, and developer community commentary)