Apple has formally appealed a €500 million fine imposed by the European Commission for alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), filing its case with the General Court of the European Union—the bloc’s second-highest judicial authority.
The case centres on the Commission’s finding, issued in April 2025, that Apple unlawfully restricted app developers from steering users to alternative purchasing options outside the App Store. The decision concluded that Apple’s technical and commercial limitations prevented developers from directing consumers to potentially cheaper offers, in breach of the DMA, which came into effect in 2023 to address market imbalances involving dominant digital platforms.
Apple filed its appeal on Monday, 7 July, the final day permitted under EU procedural rules. In a statement, the company accused the European Commission of overreach.
“Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission’s decision—and their unprecedented fine—go far beyond what the law requires,” the statement read. “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 €500 million fine, equivalent to approximately $587 million, is among the largest imposed under the DMA to date. In addition to the financial penalty, the Commission threatened daily fines of up to 5% of Apple’s average global turnover—estimated at €50 million per day—if it failed to bring its practices into compliance.
In response to the Commission’s April ruling, Apple implemented changes to its App Store framework in June. These included the introduction of new fee structures and the removal of certain restrictions that had prevented developers from informing users of external payment options. Apple has characterised these changes as necessary to avoid punitive measures, though it maintains that the Commission’s demands were excessive and lacked legal clarity.
The Commission has confirmed it is currently assessing feedback from app developers on Apple’s revised rules. A decision on whether the company’s modifications are sufficient is expected in the coming months. A spokesperson said, “We stand ready to defend our decisions in court.”
At the heart of the dispute is the concept of “steering”—a term referring to practices that allow developers to guide users toward alternative purchasing methods. While Apple argues that it has removed the technical barriers preventing direct links to external websites, the Commission’s interpretation also includes broader promotional practices within the apps themselves. Apple contends that this expanded definition is legally unfounded.
The case has attracted attention beyond Europe’s borders. In the United States, former Trump administration trade adviser Peter Navarro accused the EU of deploying “non-tariff weapons” against American technology firms, calling such regulatory actions “lawfare”. Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly criticised EU digital legislation, claiming it amounts to “institutionalised censorship”.
Despite these criticisms, EU officials have signalled a firm commitment to enforcing the DMA. Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Vice-President responsible for tech sovereignty, stated earlier this month that Brussels would not dilute its regulatory framework in the context of transatlantic trade negotiations.
Apple’s challenge comes as trade tensions between the US and EU continue to rise. President Donald Trump has set a 9 July deadline for finalising a new trade agreement with the bloc and has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 50% on European imports if no deal is reached.
Legal observers believe the Apple case could set a precedent for how the DMA is interpreted and enforced in future disputes. Tom Smith, competition lawyer at Geradin Partners and a former legal director at the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, remarked that Apple has consistently opposed reforms to its App Store model.
“Apple fundamentally hates attempts to change its app store. The blunt truth is that it is worth spending a few million on legal fees in order to disrupt and delay the development of a more open app ecosystem, which is a market that is worth many billions a year to Apple,” Smith said.
Should the General Court reject Apple’s appeal, the company may choose to escalate the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial body in the EU. The outcome of this legal process is expected to have significant implications for the future application of the Digital Markets Act across the technology sector.
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