The issue with the Dutch competition authority is confined to a single type of software on the App Store. However, it is part of a global wave of antitrust scrutiny directed against Apple. The EU’s Digital Markets Act, which takes effect this fall, may force all apps to enable external payment processors, while South Korea recently enacted a similar law. Apple’s in-app payment system was the subject of a high-profile legal battle with Epic Games that ended with a US judge directing Apple to allow developers to link to alternative payment methods. The order later stayed pending appeal.
