The Paris Commercial Court has fined Apple over 1 million euros due to App Store practices. According to a report by Reuters, the ruling says Apple imposes abusive commercial clauses on French app developers for access to the company’s App Store.
That said, the court doesn’t require Apple to tweak any of its policies as “the European Union’s incoming Digital Markets Act would require changes in any case.” An Apple spokesman said the company will review the ruling and believes “in vibrant and competitive markets where innovation can flourish.”
“Through the App Store, we’ve helped French developers of all sizes share their passion and creativity with users around the world while creating a secure and trusted place for customers,” the spokesman added.
Interestingly, this Paris Commercial Court ruling comes after the EU’s Digital Markets Act technically entered into force on November 1st. While it will only be fully applicable in early 2024, Apple is preparing the necessary changes in time for the release of iOS 17 next fall.
That said, it doesn’t mean the Cupertino company is OK with the Paris Commercial Court decision or the EU’s DMA. Here’s what Bloomberg reported last week:
Apple is applying a significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor. It hasn’t been a popular initiative within Apple, considering that the company has spent years decrying the need for “sideloading” — the process of installing software without using the official App Store. In lobbying against the new European laws, Apple has argued that sideloading could put unsafe apps on consumers’ devices and undermine privacy.
Allowing third-party app stores would be one of many changes Apple would make in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Other changes include opening more of its APIs to third-party apps, removing the requirement for third-party web browsers to use WebKit, and potentially allowing users to install third-party payment systems.
