Apple to Make Changes to EU App Store to Avoid Fines

• Apple faces escalating EU fines after a €500M penalty in April 2025 for breaching the Digital Markets Act.

• Regulators say Apple has not opened the App Store enough to meet competition law requirements.

• The company is in last-minute talks with EU officials to make changes and avoid further penalties.

Apple is reportedly in last-minute negotiations with European regulators to make changes to the App Store in an attempt to pay further hefty fines, according to mobilegamer.biz. The company received a €500 million ($584 million) fine in April 2025 after it was found in breach of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. This was due to Apple not having opened up its App Store enough to satisfy EU regulators. The tech giant would receive more escalating fines this week from the European Union (EU) unless it fully complies with the competition laws, reported the Financial Times on 23 June. As a result, Apple is reportedly negotiating with EU regulators to make changes in time.

The European Commission (EC), which regulates the DMA, has reportedly ordered Apple to revise its rules within two months of the original fine. Apple has until 26 June to comply with the rules, or it faces the risk of increasing fines, which could reach up to 5% of its average daily global revenue. The Financial Times’ sources have revealed that Apple is expected to offer concessions on its “steering” provisions that prohibit users accessing offers outside the App Store, in an attempt to buy more time. 

The sources involved in negotiations reportedly added that discussions had involved Apple’s “Core Technology Fee,” which requires developers to pay for each annual install after 1 million downloads. The EC confirmed to the Financial Times that it was working closely with Apple “to discuss effective compliance.” However, it could not talk about any outcome before the 26 June deadline, the EC reportedly said, adding, “the commission has ample regulatory powers at its disposal, if Apple continues to be in breach of its obligations under the DMA.”

According to the Financial Times, the decision comes as President Donald Trump is visiting Europe for a NATO summit this week at The Hague, and as the EU and US are approaching a 9 July 9 deadline to agree on a trade deal.

The tensions over Europe’s tech regulations have long been a flashpoint between the EU and President Donald Trump. He once described the bloc’s hefty fines on American companies as “a form of taxation.”

Apple is the latest company to feel the pressure from the EU. The company is battling a series of regulatory hurdles in Europe, including a €1.8 billion fine issued in 2023 over practices that regulators said disadvantaged rival music-streaming platforms. However, Apple’s issues are not isolated since other major US tech firms have faced similar scrutiny. Google has reportedly been fined more than $8 billion USD across multiple cases, while Amazon and Microsoft have both come under investigation, requiring them to adjust their operations to be compliant under EU competition rules.