European Union regulators accused Apple of breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as the company allegedly steered its users away from marketplace alternatives.
The European Commission also opened an investigation into the tech giant's contractual terms with developers.
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EU Probes Apple for DMA Violation
The DMA states that companies, tagged as gatekeepers, must allow other businesses to offer an alternative platform and services outside the App Store. The gatekeepers should allow other companies to promote their services, products, and subscriptions.
The regulators shared that the preliminary findings ruled that Apple breached the DMA as the App Store still "prevents app developers from freely steering customers to alternative channels and content. While the tech giant implements alternative ways, outside services are still subject to several restrictions by the company.
The findings added that these restrictions prevent app developers from communicating and promoting offers using their chosen distribution channel. The charging fees for developers are also "beyond what is strictly necessary" according to the regulators.
Apple Defends Policy Changes Amid DMA Rules
Apple quickly responded to the accusation stating that the company made appropriate changes to comply with EU's DMA. In a statement, the tech giant stated that they are "confident" that their rules comply with the law.
"All developers doing business in the EU on the App Store have the opportunity to utilize the capabilities that we have introduced, including the ability to direct app users to the web to complete purchases at a very competitive rate," the company added.
If the regulators find crucial evidence that Apple is breaching the DMA, the company could face fines of up to 10% of its worldwide turnover.
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