News from the Netherlands that will shock no one. Apple Insider had that country’s Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) saying Monday that Apple’s plans for third-party payment acceptance in the Dutch Apple Store are “unreasonable.” In a statement released Monday, Apple Insider says:
…the ACM complains about Apple's requirement for developers to create a specific version of their app to be submitted to the App Store, if it is a dating app serving the Netherlands and is either linking users away from the app to facilitate an in-app payment, or is using a third-party payment processor within the app itself.
Well, when you put it that way… Apple Insider continues:
The ACM says "the revised conditions that Apple has imposed on dating-app providers are unreasonable, and create an unnecessary barrier." Since the policy demands a completely separate app to be created, rather than modifying an existing app to add the alternate payments, ACM finds it an "unreasonable condition that is at odds with the requirements that Apple had set out.”
Having reached no acceptable conclusion, and it being Monday, that was another 5 million euros ($5.65 million) on Apple’s invoice from the Dutch. The Netherlands has said it’ll fine Apple that amount every week that Apple is out of compliance until it hits the maximum allowed under the law there - 50 million euros. Yesterday’s added five brings the amount fined so far to 20 million euros.