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Apple Faces New EU Antitrust Complaint Over App Store Practices

By  |  October 22, 2025

Apple has come under renewed scrutiny in Europe as two civil rights organizations filed a complaint with EU antitrust regulators, alleging that the company’s App Store and device policies violate the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to Reuters, the complaint was submitted on Wednesday by Article 19 and Germany’s Society for Civil Rights to the European Commission.

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    The two groups argue that Apple’s terms and conditions for its App Store, as well as for its iOS and iPadOS operating systems, hinder competition and restrict interoperability with smaller developers. Per Reuters, the complaint claims these limitations obstruct the ability of small businesses to operate effectively on Apple’s platforms, ultimately reducing consumer choice and innovation.

    Apple has already been fined 500 million euros ($583 million) earlier this year for breaching the DMA, a law designed to curb the dominance of major tech companies and foster fair competition. The latest complaint, not previously reported, was shared with Reuters ahead of its public release, adding to the growing list of challenges Apple faces under the EU’s new regulatory regime.

    Read more: Russia Pressures Apple to Make Russian Search Engines Default on Russian iPhones

    The complaint particularly targets Apple’s requirement that developers provide a stand-by letter of credit (SBLC) worth 1 million euros if they wish to distribute apps through the App Store or host an alternative app store on iOS and iPadOS devices. The filing, according to Reuters, states that “a 1,000,000 euro SBLC can impose a recurring annual cost and collateral requirements that many SMEs cannot meet.”

    The complainants have called on the European Commission to impose further penalties on Apple for what they describe as noncompliance with the DMA’s provisions. Under the law, companies found in violation can face fines of up to 10% of their global annual revenue.