Dutch Court Confirms Apple Abused Dominant Positions In Dating Apps

JAKARTA The Rotterdam District Court on Monday 16 June confirmed the decision of the Dutch consumer watchdog in 2021 which stated that Apple was abusing its dominant position by imposing unfair provisions on dating app providers on the App Store.

The court ruled that the Dutch consumer authority, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), was correct when ordering Apple with the threat of a fine if it did not comply with the changes.

ACM found that dating app providers should use Apple's payment system, are prohibited from referring to payment options outside the App Store, and are required to pay a commission of 30% (155% for small providers) to Apple.

Apple said it plans to appeal this decision. "This decision is detrimental to the technology and tools we have created to help develop and protect user privacy and security, and we plan to file an appeal," an Apple spokesperson said.

In 2021, ACM will also impose a fine of 50 million euros (approximately 942 billion) on Apple for failing to comply with a change order in the App Store deemed to have violated EU antitrust law.