Apple is encountering serious legal hurdles in Europe, with allegations totaling hundreds of millions of euros concerning its App Store charges. The examination of the App Store has increased following a recent decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), permitting two Dutch organizations representing iPhone and iPad users to seek damages from the tech company.
The organizations argue that Apple’s charges for third-party applications on the App Store are excessively elevated and represent an unlawful exploitation of its dominant market status. Developers who use Apple’s in-app payment system face commissions that can soar up to 30%. Apple contends that a Dutch court lacks the necessary jurisdiction, asserting that the purported harmful incidents did not take place in the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, the CJEU determined that the App Store is specifically tailored for the Dutch market, providing applications in Dutch and serving users with Apple IDs associated with the Netherlands, irrespective of their geographical location. This ruling allows the antitrust lawsuit to move forward.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs approximates that the damages suffered by roughly seven million impacted iPhone users and an equivalent number of iPad users could reach around 637 million euros, including statutory interest. The case is expected to progress to a merits hearing in the first quarter of 2026, signifying a substantial advancement in the ongoing examination of Apple’s business practices in Europe.
