Apple has found itself in hot water once more, this time with the Paris Commercial Court, which imposed a fine of just over one million euros ($1.06 million) on Monday.
The reason for this fine was straightforward: Apple was accused of enabling abusive business practices on its App Store, which were perceived as exploitative of French app developers.
Apple is not required to alter its App Store in any way to help French app developers. The decision was reported by Reuters, who also noted that Apple would not be required to make any alterations to its App Store—not because they are not required, but because the desired alterations are already anticipated to happen soon.
This is because of the upcoming Digital Markets Act for the European Union, which would need to be changed anyhow.
Apple would review the decision and believed “in vibrant and competitive markets where innovation can flourish,” according to a spokesman for the company. In case you missed it, the European Union parliament approved the Digital Markets Act earlier this year.
This antitrust law brought about some significant changes that will eventually end Apple’s monopolistic business practices on its App Store.
According to the law, the business must permit app developers to use third-party payment platforms. In addition to this, the law will permit iOS app sideloading and iMessage interoperability with other messaging services. As if that weren’t enough, the EU has mandated that businesses like Apple switch all of their products over to the USB-C interface by the end of 2024.
Given Apple’s $2.1 trillion market capitalization, a $1 million fine might seem insignificant in comparison to the cut the tech giant keeps from app developers. However, a steady stream of legal demands will eventually compel Apple to relax its control over the App Store.
