France fines Apple €1 million for anti-competitive App Store policy

The Arbitration Court in Paris fined U.S. company Apple €1 million for imposing illegal conditions for inclusion of applications developed by French companies in the App Store, Reuters reported.

With this ruling the court did not require the corporation to change its policy on the App Store, which Apple will have to do after the entry into full force of the new Digital Markets Act of the European Union in 2023.

Although the amount of the fine is small compared to the profits made by Apple, according to the newspaper, this court ruling is another step that shows the legal pressure Apple is under to end its anti-competitive policy on the App Store. Currently, the App Store is the only way for alternative app developers to deliver their products to customers.

Apple's response

An Apple spokesman promised that the U.S. company would review the French court's decision, and added that the corporation believes in vibrant and competitive markets in which innovation can flourish.

"Through the App Store, we’ve helped French developers of all sizes share their passion and creativity with users around the world while creating a secure and trusted place for customers," the spokesman added.

New EU law

Reuters reports that Apple and other major tech companies are now facing problems with their monopolistic policies under new EU legislation aimed at increasing control over companies that own the platforms needed to access the app market.

The Digital Markets Act requires Apple and Google to provide the ability to download iOS and Android apps from third-party platforms. The new provision of the law will take full effect in 2023. effective May 2 (some provisions went into effect on November 1 of this year).

Last week Bloomberg reported that Apple is allowed to download iOS and iPadOS apps from weak alternative platforms under EU regulations.

Millions in fines

This is not the first time Apple has been fined on the same charge. In 2021, Apple paid $100 million in another lawsuit over the same App Store monopoly policy.

The Google Play Market app store has also been accused of such anti-competitive practices. Recently, a large class action lawsuit was filed against the company for imposing high commissions of 30 percent, which could cost Google millions.