The Dutch competition regulator announced today that Apple must allow dating apps such as Tinder and Match to support third-party payment methods, otherwise, it will face fines.
The Dutch Consumer and Market Administration (ACM) stated that if Apple does not support this work within two months, they will face a fine of 5 million euros per week, up to 50 million euros. The deadline for this decision is a few months after ACM ruled that the App Store’s in-app commission structure was unreasonable.
ACM Chairman Martijn Snoep said: Some apps rely on Apple’s App Store, and Apple takes advantage of this dependency. Apple has special responsibilities because of its dominant position. That’s why Apple needs to take apps seriously. Business interests and set reasonable conditions.
Since 2019, ACM has been investigating Apple. Initially, the investigation was to monitor whether the App Store abused its dominant market position, but then it was reduced to focus on dating apps.