Apple appeals €500 million EU fine, disputes Digital Markets Act ruling in court

Apple has officially appealed a €500 million ($587 million) fine imposed by the European Commission earlier this year, taking the matter to the EU’s second-highest court in a bid to overturn the decision.

The Commission ruled in April that Apple had breached the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) by imposing technical and commercial restrictions on app developers, preventing them from directing users to cheaper subscription offers outside the App Store.

In a statement on Monday, Apple said, "Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission's decision - and their unprecedented fine - go far beyond what the law requires. 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. We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the court."

Apple had until Monday to file the legal challenge, and its move signals the beginning of a high-stakes legal battle over the DMA, which was introduced to reduce the dominance of major digital platforms and create fairer conditions for smaller players.

In response to the Commission’s initial order, Apple recently modified its App Store rules to remove barriers for app developers. This overhaul was aimed at sidestepping daily penalties of up to 5% of its global average daily revenue, which could amount to nearly €50 million per day.

Despite these changes, the European Commission is still collecting feedback from app developers before determining whether Apple’s adjustments are sufficient or whether further measures will be required.