EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager painted a grim picture for Apple under the Digital Markets Act, saying the company has “very serious” compliance issues.
Apple was already on the verge of becoming the first Big Tech company to be fined under the DMA for failing to do enough to allow third-party developers to bypass its App Store rules and fees. The DMA is designed to regulate gatekeeper companies, such as those that control an entire platform and meet certain user and revenue thresholds.
In an interview with CNBC, Vestager said Apple’s non-compliance was a serious issue.
“We have a number of Apple issues; I find them very serious. I was very surprised that we would have such suspicions of Apple being non-compliant,” Vestager told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro.
″[Apple] are very important because a lot of good business happens through the App Store, happens through payment mechanisms, so of course, even though you know I can say this is not what was expected of such a company, of course we will enforce exactly with the same top priority as with any other business,” Vestager added.
The DMA forced Apple to open iOS and allow third-party app stores and side-loading apps. While Apple did comply, it introduced a whole new set of fees that many saw as a way to try to dissuade developers from choosing alternative payment methods.
Vestager told CNBC said she hoped the probe would wrap up soon, but her comments certainly raise significant doubt that any outcome will be favorable for Apple.
Source: EU Competition Chief: Apple Has ‘Very Serious’ Compliance Issues
