June 24, 2025 – Apple, which was slapped with a €500 million fine in April this year for breaching the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), has yet to unveil any alterations to its App Store policies aimed at dodging further penalties.
According to a fresh report from the Financial Times today, the tech giant is currently locked in “last – minute” negotiations with the European Commission, deliberating on ways to loosen the terms of its App Store.
Following the April fine, Apple was granted a 60 – day window to start complying with the DMA regulations, a deadline that is set to expire on Thursday, June 26. The European Commission indicated last week that Apple might not face any additional financial sanctions at the cut – off date as the two sides are still engaged in ongoing discussions.
The initial €500 million fine on Apple was centered around its App Store policies that barred developers from communicating with users about alternative payment options outside the App Store. As per Apple’s current App Store guidelines in the EU, developers are permitted to include an external link on their websites. However, Apple takes a 27% commission on purchases made through that link.
The Financial Times suggests that Apple is anticipated to “make some concessions” soon regarding its anti – steering rules in the EU. Subsequently, the European Commission will be tasked with reviewing these changes to ascertain whether they are sufficient for compliance with the DMA before imposing any further fines on the company.
The EU has also set its sights on Apple’s Core Technology Fee (CTF). This fee requires Apple to charge developers €0.50 for each first – time installation exceeding one million times annually within the EU. Today’s report highlights that the ongoing talks between Apple and the European Commission have “touched upon” the CTF rules.
The report does not specify what changes Apple might announce in the EU. One potential scenario is that Apple could update its App Store rules to permit external payment links without any constraints.
