Apple is in last-minute negotiations with the European Commission in an effort to avert additional fines under the European Union’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), as its compliance deadline of Thursday, June 26, 2025 rapidly approaches. The company was previously slapped with a €500 million fine in April for breaching DMA provisions, notably its “anti‑steering” rules which prevent developers from guiding users to alternative payment methods outside the App Store .
Regulators expect Apple to propose meaningful concessions around those steering restrictions as well as its controversial “Core Technology Fee”a charge of €0.50 per year for every install after the first million . These reforms could include loosening rules on embedded links or reducing fees for developers, though specifics haven’t been made public .
Apple’s strategy appears twofold: first, to buy time by submitting initial commitments before the June 26 deadline; second, to allow the Commission time to evaluate the proposals before deciding whether further fines potentially escalating to up to 5% of global daily revenue are warranted .
The DMA, effective since March 2024, designates major platforms like Apple as “gatekeepers,” enforcing rules to promote fairness such as preventing anti‑steering, user‑choice restrictions, and charging excessive fees. Apple had two months from the initial fine to compl until June 26 or face escalating penalties.
Enter this week’s critical juncture: Apple’s pledge to revise App Store policy, including potentially letting developers communicate external offers without penalties, could stave off immediate sanctions. The European Commission has confirmed “close engagement” with Apple, but stressed it “cannot speculate on any potential outcome” as the deadline nears
The stakes are high—not just for Apple’s finances, but for the regulatory precedent set for Big Tech. While Apple negotiates, it also maintains broader resistance to EU mandates, including an ongoing appeal over DMA interoperability rules involving device-level data sharing .
With the deadline nearly upon us, the spotlight is now on Brussels to determine whether Apple’s commitments truly mark a shift from “malicious compliance” to substantive change or simply a delay tactic .
