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Apple is locked in last-minute negotiations with Brussels regulators over making changes to its App Store to avoid a series of escalating EU fines due to come into force this week.
The $3tn company is in talks with the European Commission, after being fined €500mn for breaching the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, the landmark legislation designed to curtail the power of big tech groups.
People involved in the negotiations said Apple was expected to offer concessions on its “steering” provisions that stop users accessing offers outside the App Store.
Regulators ordered the Silicon Valley company to revise its rules within two months of its initial €500mn fine, with the deadline for the company to comply with the bloc’s rules in order to avoid new levies expiring on Thursday. Those financial penalties can escalate over time and reach up to 5 per cent of average daily worldwide revenue.
According to those with knowledge of the talks, Apple is expected to announce some concessions that buy the company more time, as the commission would first assess those changes before making a final decision.
Those involved in the negotiations said discussions had also touched upon Apple’s “Core Technology Fee”. That fee requires developers to pay for each annual install after 1mn downloads. The EU has been scrutinising these business terms since June last year and could either choose to pursue the matter further or drop the investigation.
The upcoming decision comes as US President Donald Trump is visiting Europe for a Nato summit in The Hague this week and as Brussels and Washington are nearing a July 9 deadline to agree on a trade deal.
The EU’s rules on Big Tech are a big flashpoint between Brussels and Trump, who has previously compared the EU’s fines with “overseas extortion” and called them a “form of taxation”.
Brussels on Thursday also has to decide whether the changes Meta announced in November 2024 on its free personalised ads model are enough to avoid new fines from Brussels under the DMA.
The commission confirmed it was engaging closely with Apple “to discuss effective compliance” but that it could not speculate on any potential outcome before the deadline of June 26.
It added that “the commission has ample regulatory powers at its disposal, if Apple continues to be in breach of its obligations under the DMA”.
Apple declined to comment.
