Dutch Regulator Disputes Apple's Commissions in Dating App Case

The Dutch consumer watchdog, the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), is challenging the fees imposed by Apple on dating app providers in the Netherlands. This move is part of the ongoing case against the tech giant concerning the dominance of its app store. While the dispute currently pertains to dating apps within the Netherlands, it is perceived as potentially setting a precedent for similar cases worldwide.

The ACM had previously imposed a €50 million ($53 million) fine on Apple in 2021, alleging the company failed to comply with changes mandated by the regulator for Apple’s app store. These changes aimed to rectify practices that were deemed to violate European Union antitrust regulations. Apple refuted the allegations and appealed the fines, and the case is currently before a Rotterdam Court.

However, Apple did make certain concessions to the ACM’s demands, including allowing alternative payment methods for dating apps in the Netherlands. In February 2022, Apple reduced commissions for dating app developers in the Netherlands from 30% to 27%, although it was not disclosed whether this change was deemed satisfactory by the ACM.

Recently, the ACM issued a summary of its responses to Apple's objections, dated July 13, 2023, revealing that a single unresolved dispute over commissions remains. The details of this dispute were not made public due to legal constraints.

In the fuller July 13 arguments now revealed to Reuters, the ACM asserted that "Apple ... harms dating app providers by charging them an additional, and inexplicably higher, fee for the same services" compared to other types of app developers.

The ACM has refrained from commenting on the matter while the case is ongoing, and no decision date has been established.