A significant coalition of twenty app developers and consumer advocacy groups is ramping up pressure on the EU to take a tougher stance against Apple, as reported by Reuters. The group, which includes major players like Deezer and Proton under the banner of the Coalition for Apps Fairness (CAF), officially called on the European Union to enforce its Digital Markets Act (DMA) more strictly this week. They argue that despite recent legislation intended to level the playing field, Apple’s current fee structure continues to place European developers at a distinct disadvantage compared to their counterparts in the United States.
The core of the dispute centers on how Apple has chosen to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which mandates that “gatekeeper” platforms allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods without charge. According to the coalition, Apple’s response introduced a new set of fees ranging from 13% to 20% for App Store purchases, plus additional penalties of 5% to 15% on external transactions. The group highlights a growing disparity where U.S. developers are beginning to see more favorable terms following recent American court rulings, while European creators remain locked into what they describe as an untenable economic model.
Apple’s specific implementation of these new terms has drawn sharp criticism for allegedly undermining the “free of charge” requirement stipulated by the DMA. Earlier this year, the European Commission fined the tech giant €500 million for obstructing developers from steering users toward cheaper payment options, a ruling that was supposed to open the door for fairer competition. However, the CAF contends that replacing one commission model with another complex fee structure merely shifts the burden rather than removing it. Gene Burrus, global policy counsel for the CAF, stated firmly that “free of charge means free of charge,” urging regulators to ensure Apple cannot skirt the rules through technicalities.
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