Apple sends new proposals to Dutch watchdog over dating apps payments

The Dutch Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM) said Apple had sent it new proposals on Monday to try to resolve a longstanding dispute over the iPhone maker’s failure to comply with an order requiring it to let Dutch dating app providers use third-party payment systems in their apps.

“We will now assess the substance of these proposals,” said an ACM spokesperson in a statement. “In that context, we will also sit down with various market participants. Our aim is to complete this assessment as soon as possible.”

ACM did not disclose Apple’s proposed remedy and said it had fined the company €5 million for the 9th time. The total of all penalty payments currently stands at €45 million out of a potential maximum amount of €50 million. 

“It should be noted that, until last weekend, Apple still had not met ACM’s requirements,” its spokesperson added. “That is why it has to pay a ninth penalty payment, which means the total amount that Apple must pay currently stands at €45 million euros.”

After the ACM issued a ruling in December 2021 requiring Apple to allow dating apps to use third-party payment systems, Apple said it would comply and introduced two optional entitlements for dating app providers in the Netherlands. However, the company said dating app providers using these entitlements must submit a separate app binary for iOS and iPadOS. 

The ACM said that Apple’s these terms are “unreasonable”.