Apple racks up its fifth $5.7m file as Dutch consumer watchdog digs in - TechnW3

What you need to know

• Apple has been fined another $5.7 million by Dutch authorities.
• Apple has still failed to comply to demands to make it possible for developers of dating apps to offer third-party payment systems.
• Reuters believes Apple is yet to pay up for the previous four fines.

Apple is still to pay the last four fines, according to a report.

Apple continues to rack up the fines after a Dutch consumer watchdog fined it another 5 million euros ($5.7 million) today.

The fine represents the fifth successive week in which Apple has been told to hand over more cash for failing to comply with Dutch demands relating to App Store payments. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) says that Apple is abusing its position as the dominant player in the market and has told it to allow developers of dating apps to offer third-party payments. But so far, nothing Apple has done as satiated it — and unless it comes up with something by next week, it'll face another fine.

Apple was originally told to get its house in order and allow for third-party payments by January 15, something it didn't do. And despite making moves to allow it — including a 27% fee that some developers are less than happy about — it's still come up short, says Reuters.

The ACM has been levying weekly fines of 5 million euros since Apple missed a Jan. 15 deadline to make changes that the watchdog had mandated. read more

It said the U.S. company had not made any new proposal to comply with its ruling in the past week.

"We have clearly explained to Apple how they can comply...," the watchdog said in a statement. "So far, however, they have refused to put forward any serious proposals." Apple declined comment on Monday.

Apple's plan to force developers to submit special versions of its apps that would be used only in the Dutch App Store has so far been denied by the ACM, saying that it puts an unreasonable burden on developers and does not amount to compliance.

What's more, the same report suggests that Apple is yet to pay the previous four fines, although it might just be seeing how far it can push things and then pay up via a single fee. How large that fee will be is anyone's guess at this point.

- TechnW3
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