EU Developers Demand Regulatory Action Against App Store Fees
In Focus
- Coalition for Apps Fairness claims App store fees disadvantage European developers
- The lobby group termed App store fees as unjustifiable and damaging
- Developers want EU regulators to end Apple’s DMA violations
A group of app developers known as Coalition for Apps Fairness (CAF) and consumer groups have called for EU action against App store fees. According to Reuters, the groups want EU regulators to hold Apple accountable for its App store fee structure, which they claim disadvantages European developers compared to their counterparts in the U.S.
Coalition Call Reflects Epic Games Lawsuit Ruling
The groups ride on the recent court decision in the Epic Games lawsuit, in which a U.S. judge required Apple to allow external payment links in apps. In the EU, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires tech platforms that are designated as gatekeepers like Apple to support in-app payments outside their systems without cost.
Earlier this year, the EU imposed a $588 million fine on Apple for keeping app developers in the region from directing users to cheaper deals outside its App Store. The U.S. smartphone maker has since appealed the fine, claiming that it is both unprecedented and unlawful.
Apple is among the leading U.S. tech companies that are currently facing EU probes under the Digital Markets Act. Recently, the European Commission announced plans to probe whether its Ads and Maps services meet DMA thresholds.
Apple’s Fees Review Inadequate, CAF Says
Following the EU fine, Apple reviewed its App Store commission in Europe. The company set a 13% commission for small businesses and a maximum of 20% for in-app purchases. The company also set penalties on external purchases at between 5% and 15%.
Despite these changes, the CAF, which represents firms like Proton and Deezer, maintains that Apple still violates the DMA with the new fees. The coalition argues that following the recent court ruling, U.S. developers enjoy more favorable terms.
CAF accuses Apple of stifling innovation and says the current situation is both “untenable and damaging to the app economy”. According to the coalition, European developers have been forced to either bear the cost of Apple’s in-app payment fees or pass it to customers.
“It is bad for European companies, and it is bad for European consumers,” Global Policy Counsel for CAF, Gene Burrus said as stated by Reuters.
Call to Enforce EU Law
CAF claims developers in the EU continue to be disadvantaged six months after EU regulators pronounced App store policies illegal. Apple is planning policy changes starting January 2026 but has not specified what these changes would entail. This lack of clarity has caused dissatisfaction among European developers.
“We want the EU Commission to tell Apple that the law is the law, and that free of charge means free of charge,” Burrus added.
Besides the U.S. and the EU, Apple has faced regulatory action over its App Store fees in the U.K. In October 2025, the tech company lost a £1.5 billion consumer lawsuit over its app store dominance in the U.K. British regulators ruled that Apple’s practices stifled competition and compelled developers to pay excessive fees.
