Dutch Regulators Conclude Apple Acted Anti-Competitively

The Dutch antitrust watchdog has concluded an investigation into Apple, ruling that it has acted in an anti-competitive manner.

The Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has informed the technology giant that it needs to make changes to its systems. It is the first global antitrust regulator to find that Apple abused its power by forcing developers to use its payment system and then taking a 30% commission.

This is the latest development in a global investigation into Apple and Google’s store practices. In the last couple of months South Korea introduced a bill to stop them from having mandatory measures in place, while the US District Court ruled that alternative payment options cannot be blocked.

Apple agreed to settle a class action lawsuit at the end of August and will now allow developers to contact their consumers to offer a new way to pay.

Match Group made one of the biggest complaints in 2020, which prompted the ACM to focus much of its investigation on dating apps.

No official comment about the case has been made because it is still under legal review, but it is believed that Apple is not yet facing a fine. An announcement is expected to be published by the end of the year.

Apple has also made it easier for users to report potentially fraudulent apps. With the latest iOS 15 updated, they can now do it directly through the ‘Report a Problem’ section, rather than needing to sign in on a separate webpage.

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