This new landmark antitrust complaint was filed by two civil rights organizations. The groups Article 19 and Germany’s Society for Civil Rights acted together. They formally accused Apple of breaching the Digital Markets Act. Their grievance specifically targets Apple’s App Store terms and conditions. The company’s device operating systems are also under scrutiny.
The European Commission now must review this fresh allegation. This landmark antitrust complaint could trigger another major EU investigation. Regulators previously fined Apple five hundred million euros in April. That penalty was for similar Digital Markets Act violations. Apple has not yet provided any public comment on the new filing.
The civil rights groups detailed several specific Apple practices. They argue the company’s rules prevent fair interoperability for rivals. Furthermore, they claim Apple’s terms actively harm small business users. Restrictions on third-party software installations are a key issue. The complaint states these conditions clearly breach the DMA.
A particular point of contention involves a financial requirement. Apple mandates a one-million-euro standby letter of credit. This is for developers wanting to use third-party app stores. The groups call this cost prohibitive for many small companies. Such a barrier effectively blocks market access for smaller rivals.
The DMA itself was designed to curb Big Tech’s power. It establishes a clear list of obligations for large companies. The goal is to foster more competition and user choice. This landmark antitrust complaint tests the regulation’s practical enforcement. The civil rights groups are urging regulators to impose another fine.
Potential penalties under the DMA are intentionally severe. Fines can reach ten percent of a company’s global revenue. For a giant like Apple, this represents many billions of dollars. The European Commission has not yet commented on the complaint. The regulator will now likely open a preliminary assessment phase.