Apple has formally appealed a €500 million ($587 million) fine imposed by the European Commission over alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that the ruling unfairly targets its App Store practices and forces it to adopt business terms that confuse developers and harm consumers. The case was filed Monday with the EU General Court in Luxembourg, the bloc's second-highest judicial authority.
"Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission's decision - and their unprecedented fine - go far beyond what the law requires," Apple said in a statement. "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."
In April, the Commission found that Apple unlawfully restricted app developers from steering users toward more affordable offers outside the iOS App Store ecosystem-an infringement that regulators said undermined competition and violated provisions of the DMA.
As a result, Apple was ordered to overhaul its developer terms or face additional daily fines of up to 5% of its average daily global revenue, estimated at €50 million per day. In response, the company rolled out revised rules in June, including new fee structures for third-party developers and changes to how they can advertise alternative payment options within their apps.
A Commission spokesperson said, "We stand ready to defend our decisions in court."
The Commission's ruling also broadened the definition of "steering" to include not just linking to external websites, but also promoting deals directly within apps. Apple claims this amounts to an unlawful expansion of legal interpretations under the DMA.
The legal dispute comes amid broader transatlantic tensions over tech regulation. Peter Navarro, former trade adviser under President Donald Trump, accused Brussels of waging "lawfare" against U.S. tech firms, calling EU regulatory moves "non-tariff weapons" aimed at damaging American digital competitiveness.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's vice-president for tech sovereignty, said in April that the EU would not dismantle its regulatory frameworks to accommodate any trade agreement with Washington. Trump has set a July 9 deadline for a new trade deal with the EU, threatening a 50% tariff on European imports if no agreement is reached.
