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A Dutch court has sided with regulators, and is reasserting that Apple abused its market power by how it handled billing for dating apps, and is still on the hook for millions in fines.

Despite its efforts, Apple has made little headway in escaping fines levied by Dutch regulators in 2021. The Rotterdam District Court has upheld the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets' decision, ruling that Apple did, in fact, impose unfair conditions on dating apps in the App Store.

"This ruling undermines the technology and tools we've created to benefit developers and protect users' privacy and security, and we plan to appeal," an Apple representative

The road to Rotterdam is a long and somewhat winding one that began back in 2021; the ACM ruled that Apple violated rules over dating apps in the App Store. At the time, dating apps were not allowed to direct users to payment methods outside of the App Store.

In 2021, Apple charged a 30% commission fee on all in-app purchases and did not offer third-party payment options. Many countries, including the Netherlands, saw this as a violation of anti-steering laws.

To placate lawmakers, Apple agreed to change its rules regarding third-party payment options — at least in the Netherlands App Store. It allowed companies to either use Apple's payment system, include an in-app link to the developer's website, or use a third-party payment system within the app.

The solution wasn't much of an improvement in the eyes of developers. Apple instead charged developers a 27% commission fee to direct users to third-party payment solutions.

It wasn't great for customers, either. Apple reminded lawmakers that it would not be "able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues," for purchases made outside of the App Store.

For its part, Apple wasn't happy, either. It pushed back against fines that had accumulated between the ruling and the time it began complying, a total which amounts to nearly $58 million. Unfortunately, for Apple, Dutch regulators rejected the appeal then, too.