Apple Drops Separate Binary Clause for Dating Apps in Dutch App Store

31 MARCH 2022 - Earlier this week we heard something hopeful from regulators in Holland around their ongoing fight with Apple. Since the tail end of last year, Dutch authorities have inststed that Apple make it possible for dating apps in the App Store in the Netherlands to employ third-party payment solutions, rather than being bound to Apple’s in-app payment mechanism. Apple submitted a proposal in February that was rejected by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. One of the biggest gripes was Apple’s requirement that, to make third-party payments work for apps in the Dutch App Store, developers would need a separate version of their app specifically for that store. Now, Apple has dropped that condition. According to a piece from Apple Insider:

Apple no longer requires Dutch developers to submit separate binaries for dating apps using external payment methods, but the feature is still limited to the Netherlands.

One assumes that this was the change referred to by Dutch authorities earlier this week. The week started with regulators saying in a statement that they welcomed Apple's latest concession, and that “the adjusted proposal should result in definitive conditions for dating-app providers that wish to use the App Store.” That said, it sounds like there’s still a bit to hammer out, including Apple providing “more-specific criteria to evaluate non-Apple payment service providers that developers may use.”