Apple is facing a new multibillion-euro lawsuit out of The Netherlands that alleges the company overcharges users who purchase apps and in-app subscriptions through the App Store and accuses Apple of partaking in "market dominance" and "anti-competitive practices."
The foundation spearheading the lawsuit is the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation, which describes itself as "an independent non-profit foundation that is committed to protecting consumers against unfair commercial practices and violations of consumer law."
On its website, the foundation says that Apple, through its App Store policies, is overcharging users who pay for apps and in-app services, adding that users should "demand" refunds for purchases.
By using anti-competitive practices, Apple has been able to charge excessively high prices and impose restrictive conditions. Apple excluded all competition and withheld choice for consumers on their App-store and in-app purchases.
The foundation points to what is commonly referred to as the "Apple tax," a 15% or 30% commission that Apple takes for all digital purchases made on and through the App Store. The foundation says that the commission forces developers to increase prices for users. "iPhone and iPad owners pay the price for Apple's App-store abusive monopoly," the foundation states.
Bloombergreports the foundation believes the lawsuit will lead to upwards of $5.5 billion in damages sought for all EU iPhone and iPad users who have made a purchase through Apple's App Store. On its website, the foundation asks customers to join their efforts to "hold Apple accountable."
The new lawsuit is one of several legal battles brewing for Apple in Europe. Apple continues to be fined by the Dutch consumer and markets authority for its failure to comply with a previous ruling, which allows for third-party payment methods for Dutch dating apps. The authority says that despite Apple's announcement and plan to let eligible developers use a third-party payment method for in-app purchases, Apple still fails to comply with the new ruling. Apple has been fined €50 million as a consequence.
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
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If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost.
The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month.
In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April.
Priority Notifications
If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
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While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update.
Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far.
visionOS-Like Design
In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19.
According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas.
iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
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For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
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Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history" – an update that aims to bring iOS, iPadOS, and macOS into closer visual alignment. The redesign is said to be "loosely based" on visionOS, the software behind Apple's Vision Pro headset, and will reportedly update the look of icons, menus, apps, windows, and...
Quick question, are you happy with your utility prices?
A lot of people buying gas and diesel might differ on that point.
Far cry from the dev charging 99p instead of 70p for a flappy birds app- don’t you think? No one is forced to buy anything from the App Store or from Apple itself. No one is forced to buy an iPhone. And Apple should not be forced to give away anything. It’s business - suck it up.
