The country's Authority for Consumers and Markets found in a
decision published on December 24 that Apple had abused its market position by
requiring dating app developers, including Tinder owner Match Group, to
exclusively use Apple's in-app payment system.
Apple's practice of requiring developers to use its system
and pay commissions of 15-30 percent on digital goods purchases has come under
scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world, but the Dutch ruling
applies only in the Netherlands and only for dating apps.
In a post on its developers' blog on Saturday, Apple said it
would comply with the decision and introduce "two optional new
entitlements exclusively applicable to dating apps on the Netherlands App Store
that provide additional payment processing options for users".
However it noted that developers were not required to use
the non-Apple tools, and warned that Apple would not be able to help with
safety or refunds of payments that take place outside its systems because it
will "not be directly aware of them".
Apple is appealing the Dutch decision. © Reuters