EU Developers Demand Action Against Apple’s Fee Rules

A coalition of 20 European app developers and consumer groups has urged regulators to hold Apple accountable, saying the company’s App Store fees continue to hurt European developers compared to their U.S. counterparts.

The call comes in the wake of a U.S. court ruling that limits Apple’s ability to charge fees on external transactions, highlighting a growing gap between conditions for developers on either side of the Atlantic.

Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), large tech platforms like Apple—classified as “gatekeepers”—must allow in-app payments outside their ecosystem without imposing extra charges. Yet, Apple’s recent policy updates still enforce fees ranging from 13% for smaller firms to 20% for App Store transactions, with additional penalties of 5% to 15% for external payments.

The Coalition for Apps Fairness (CAF), which includes companies such as Deezer and Proton, argues these measures remain unfair under EU law. CAF warns that European developers are forced to absorb the fees or pass them on to customers, creating a competitive disadvantage.

Six months after the European Commission fined Apple €500 million for breaching the DMA, developers say the revised terms fail to fully comply, leaving uncertainty over upcoming policy changes slated for January.

Industry insiders stress that the lack of clarity harms both innovation and the broader app economy in Europe, as smaller developers struggle to compete under heavier fee structures compared to U.S. peers.