Apple will let Dutch dating apps use alternative payment formats

To bring in reconciliation with Dutch regulators over involving third party payment facility, Apple came up with a new version of its App Store rules that enable local dating apps to avail other payment options.  

The company said it is doing away with the need for the developers of the dating apps in the Netherlands “who choose to use the above entitlements must create and use a separate binary”. 

“This change means that developers may include either entitlement in their existing dating app, but still must limit its use to the app in the Netherlands storefront and on devices running iOS or iPadOS,” the company further said. 

Apple, till now, has accrued fine of 50 million euros as a result of not complying with a December ruling of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and failing to address the issue of allowing dating apps to use other payment alternatives. 

Apple, however, said they “disagree with the ACM’s original order and are appealing it.” 

“In the meantime, the changes we’ve made today demonstrate Apple’s ongoing commitment to fulfill its legal obligations in the Netherlands,” said Apple. 

According to the ACM, the next step is to bring up the policy to “market participants for consultation.” Apple may evade escalations in fine if they comply with the terms.