Apple hit with €500 million fine for violating EU's Digital Markets Act, must pay by July

Apple has violated the European Union's Digital Markets Act, regulators find, and must pay a €500 million fine by July.

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The EU recently released its 70-page determination on Apple's ongoing conduct. Last month, European Commission enforcers found that Apple has violated the Digital Markets Act of 2024, and now the agency has published their findings on the matter.

According to the Commission, Apple broke the Digital Markets Act's Article 5(4), which is related to anti-steering provisions (Apple must allow developers to freely communicate with consumers, including offers available outside of the App Store). Apple must pay a sizable 500 million euro fine, the Commission has decided.

This is among the Commission's first non-compliance enforcement orders regarding the DMA, and due to Apple's size, the Commission says that partial penalty payments are necessary. Apple has 3 months from the decision's filing to make payments, which means Apple has until July 23, 2025 to pay.

...Apple has, at the very least negligently, not complied with Article 5(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/1925. Apple non-compliance with Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 is serious as it covered the entirety of the Union and potentially affected a significant number of business and end users in the Union. Apple's non-compliance is of medium duration. Furthermore, Apple is a large undertaking, with substantial resources, including legal resources.

Finally, the Commission has taken into account the mitigating circumstance that this Decision is among the very first non-compliance decisions adopted under Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, and specifically Article 5(4) thereof.

Article 1

Apple Inc. has not complied with Article 5(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 from 7 March 2024 and such non-compliance is on-going.

Article 2

For the non-compliance referred to in Article 1, a fine of EUR 500 000 000 is imposed on Apple Inc.. The fine shall be credited, in euros, within three months of the date of notification of this Decision