European developers demand EU enforce Digital Markets Act against Apple

On December 16, 2025, a coalition of roughly 20 app developers and consumer groups calling itself the Coalition for Apps Fairness formally petitioned European regulators and senior European Commission officials to enforce the bloc’s Digital Markets Act against Apple. The group, which includes companies such as Deezer and Proton, circulated an open letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and senior commissioners arguing that Apple’s App Store fees and related policies continue to disadvantage European developers despite an earlier regulatory finding of non compliance.

The Digital Markets Act, implemented in 2023, designates very large platforms as gatekeepers and requires them to allow third party transactions outside their own ecosystems without levying a charge. Regulators found Apple’s App Store rules in breach of the DMA in April 2025, and the coalition says that roughly six months after that decision European developers remain at a disadvantage.

The coalition’s complaint centers on Apple’s revised terms after the April finding. Apple has set a 13 percent commission for small businesses and a maximum 20 percent commission for in app purchases in Europe, while introducing penalties on purchases made outside the App Store that reports say range between 5 percent and 15 percent. The coalition contends those measures still amount to charging for transactions that the DMA requires be permitted outside Apple’s ecosystem at no charge.

Members of the coalition argue the policy produces a two tier outcome that benefits developers in the United States. They point to a recent U.S. court ruling that restricted Apple’s ability to impose fees on external transactions, a development the coalition says has resulted in more favorable commercial terms for U.S. firms. European developers, the coalition says, have been forced either to absorb Apple’s fees or pass them on to customers, eroding margins and raising prices for consumers.

“This situation is untenable and damaging to the app economy,” the coalition said in its statement, accusing Apple of undermining transparency and stifling innovation. Global Policy Counsel for the coalition Gene Burrus added, “It is bad for European companies, and it is bad for European consumers.”

Apple has announced further policy changes slated to take effect in January, but the coalition and other developers say the company has not provided sufficient detail about how those changes will address the DMA finding. In its letter the group argued Apple had failed to propose any meaningful changes following the April non compliance determination and was acting as if compliance were optional.

The coalition asked EU authorities to take enforcement action to ensure Apple complies with the DMA and to guarantee European developers receive terms commensurate with those emerging in other jurisdictions. If regulators pursue penalties or orders against Apple, the outcome could reshape the economics of app sales and subscriptions across Europe, affecting prices for consumers and the growth strategies of startups and established firms alike.

Enforcement action would mark a significant test of the DMA’s teeth in the mobile app market, and could set precedents on how gatekeeper platforms are allowed to interact with third party commerce. Regulators now face a decision that will influence the balance between platform control, developer revenue, and consumer cost in Europe’s digital economy.