Apple Starts Legal Action Against EU Over €500 Million Fine

Apple started a legal challenge against a €500 million fine imposed by the European Commission. The tech giant reportedly submitted its appeal in a bid to contest the regulator’s April ruling, accusing Apple of breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The legislation, which aims to curb the dominance of big tech, found that Apple restricted app developers from steering users toward more affordable deals outside its App Store ecosystem. In a statement, Apple pushed back against what it called an unprecedented penalty. “As our appeal will show, the EC is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users,” the company argued.

The latest update comes after Apple revised its App Store rules last month, lifting several technical and commercial restrictions to avoid additional fines, which could amount to 5% of its average daily global revenue, or up to €50 million, according to the news outlet. The EC is now reviewing the changes and seeking input from developers before determining whether further adjustments are necessary.

The €500 million penalty forms part of the first wave of fines under the DMA, in which Meta was also fined €200 million for its consent-or-pay ad model. While EU regulators argue the crackdown is key to ensuring fair competition and giving consumers more choice, Apple has long maintained that it is being unfairly targeted, accusing the EU of having moved the goalposts during its proceedings.