Apple’s new EU App Store terms still breach the DMA, says European developer coalition

Apple’s revised EU App Store terms still fail to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, says an open letter co-signed by the Coalition for App Fairness, the European Games Developer Federation and several other groups.

The open letter responds to the new business terms Apple announced for the EU App Store on 18 August and was signed by a total of 18 organisations.

Coalition for App Fairness members include Epic Games, Match Group and Spotify, while the European Games Developer Federation represents 27 national games trade bodies and 2,500 European game developers.

The letter’s central complaint is Apple’s 15% fee on steering users to payments outside the App Store. The DMA’s Article 5(4) requires steering to be free of charge, a point the Commission made when it fined Apple $570m (€500m) in April 2025 for non-compliance.

The letter also objects to Apple’s new 5% Core Technology Commission, charged on transactions in apps distributed outside the App Store, claiming it replaces one disincentive to use alternative channels with another. The letter also notes that Windows and Linux charge no equivalent fees for self-distribution.

The Coalition for App Fairness added that the European Commission has signalled acceptance of Apple’s terms through informal public statements, leaving affected businesses unable to establish whether the April 2025 findings are resolved or not. The letter asks the EC to clarify its position, consult affected parties, and issue a formal, reasoned conclusion.

It also notes that Apple has floated similar terms in the US, where a court order currently bars it from charging fees at all, an injunction the Supreme Court has declined to pause.

Last week, we reported Apple is facing a £2bn collective legal claim over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy.