Apple Faces New EU Antitrust Complaint Over App Store Restrictions

Two civil rights groups have filed a complaint with EU antitrust regulators against Apple, alleging that the company's App Store terms breach rules designed to curb Big Tech's power. The complaint could lead to further fines for Apple, which was previously fined 500 million euros for violating the Digital Markets Act.

Apple is under renewed scrutiny as two civil rights organizations filed a complaint with EU antitrust regulators over its App Store terms and conditions. The groups argue that Apple's rules breach landmark European regulations focused on curbing Big Tech's market dominance.

The joint complaint by Article 19 and Germany's Society for Civil Rights suggests that Apple's business terms hinder small businesses' interoperability with Apple devices. It also criticizes the company's limitations on third-party software and app store installations, which allegedly breach the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The EU Commission, acknowledging the complaint, emphasized the importance of third-party contributions for enforcing the DMA. As Apple faces potential penalties up to 10% of its global annual revenue, the complaint highlights a 1 million euro standby letter of credit as a particularly burdensome requirement for developers.