NME and 33 other companies and industry associations sent a letter to the European Commission to voice serious concerns about Apple’s non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The DMA, which will start applying next week on 7 March, requires that gatekeeper app stores ensure fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions of access for businesses. This includes the fees applied to app developers.

In addition, the DMA also requires that app stores allow businesses to use payment service providers of their choice and to freely communicate with their customers, for example by linking to their own properties outside of apps.

The changes announced by Apple on 25 January do not meet any of the above in complete disregard for the spirit and the letter of the law. The proposed changes are anything but meaningful, they provide the illusion of choice and require businesses to pick between two sides of the same coin so that Apple can keep milking the app store tax that keeps on giving.

To remain credible, the Commission must not cave in to Apple’s blatant disregard for the DMA which it masquerades as meaningful compliance. News Media Europe is working to submit its views to the Commission on Apple’s deliberate non-compliance and circumvention of the law. In doing so, we champion the freedom of our members to publish and to conduct their business.

Contact: Iacob Gammeltoft.