Apple has filed an appeal against the €500 million fine imposed by the European Commission, taking the matter straight to Europe’s second-highest court.
The company argues that the fine and the obligations tied to it go far beyond what the law actually requires.
The issue traces back to the European Commission’s April ruling, which found Apple guilty of restricting app developers from directing users to cheaper alternatives outside the App Store.
According to the Commission, Apple’s actions violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law designed to curb the dominance of major tech companies.
On Monday, the final day allowed for a legal challenge, the iPhone maker submitted its appeal. In a statement, Apple said:
“Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission’s decision—and their unprecedented fine—go far beyond what the law requires. As our appeal will show, the EC is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users. We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the Court.”
The company believes the European Commission is now telling it how to manage its own business in ways that damage the developer community and worsen user experience.
In June, Apple tried to revise its App Store policies across the European Union to comply with the DMA and avoid further daily fines, which could have reached as high as €50 million per day, about 5% of Apple’s average daily global turnover.
The changes Apple introduced, however, have triggered new controversy. The company unveiled a complex, tiered commission system: developers now face either a 5% or 13% fee, plus a separate 2% user acquisition charge if they want better visibility in the App Store, such as appearing in search suggestions or getting promotional spots. Apple insists these adjustments were forced by the Commission’s demands.
The company is also now allowing developers to steer users to payment options outside the App Store, but Apple claims the Commission’s definition of “steering” was unlawfully expanded, covering more developer activities than it should.
While Apple argues that no other app store in the world operates under such conditions, the European Commission is pressing ahead. It is currently gathering feedback from developers to assess whether Apple’s latest changes are sufficient or if more corrective measures will be needed.
Over the years, the European Commission has issued fines against several tech giants, including Alphabet’s Google, which has accumulated more than $8 billion in penalties. Apple itself was previously ordered to pay Ireland €13 billion in back taxes.
Apple’s latest appeal adds yet another chapter to its long-running legal battles over the control and structure of its App Store, not just in Europe, but globally. In the United States, Apple has already been forced to allow developers to direct users to external payment options, potentially threatening billions in annual revenue.
