App Store and alternative payments: the Netherlands will verify the Apple agreement

Apple recently announced that dating apps on the App Store in the Netherlands will be able to have alternative payments. This follows a judgment by the country’s competition authority (ACM), finding that Apple abused its power by requiring its own payment system and therefore a commission of up to 30%.

A verification of Apple’s deal in the Netherlands

Today, the ACM reports having taken note of Apple’s announcement regarding alternative payments for dating apps in the Netherlands. But the case is not yet closed. Indeed, the competition authority will now contact several publishers of dating applications and other groups to see if the solution put in place by Apple suits them. Then will come the moment when the authority will validate or not the solution.

Although Apple will allow dating apps in the Netherlands to use third-party payment methods, there are some caveats to these concessions. It is important to note that Apple will continue to receive a commission even for purchases made outside of its payment system, but the manufacturer did not specify the percentage of the commission. In addition, developers will have to offer a specific version of their applications for the Netherlands if they decide to offer other means of payment.

This is an opportunity to recall that Apple recently indicated that it will appeal the ACM’s decision. He believes that third-party payments can “compromising user experience and creating new threats to user privacy and data security”.