Dutch Court Confirms Apple Abused Dominant Position towards Dating Apps

Apple lost a legal challenge in the Netherlands after a ruling that the company abused its dominant market position by imposing unfair terms on dating app developers

On June 16, 2025, a Dutch court upheld the 2021 decision by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) , stating that Apple had monopoly power on the EEA-wide market for app store services on the iOS mobile operating system for dating app providers and confirming that Apple had imposed unfair conditions on those dating app providers. The Rotterdam District Court supported the ACM in its decision to penalise Apple for requiring dating apps to use its payment system, prohibiting references to external payment options, and charging a 30% commission (15% for small providers).

With this confirmation of the 2021 ruling, Apple has six weeks to remove the mandatory use of the Apple payment system and the commission obligation tied to it, or risk a new penalty payment of 5 million euros per week, with a maximum of 50 million euros. Under Dutch and European competition rules, businesses with dominant positions, such as Apple, are not allowed to set unreasonable conditions as this abuse leads to higher prices, reduced quality, and less innovation. In its justification, the court compared the dating app service providers to ride-sharing apps, such as Uber, with similar roles as mediators. In the case of Apple, it's "special responsibility as a dominant company" puts it under increased scrutiny.

This is the first time that a court has deemed such conditions by a major platform to infringe competition law as ’unreasonable conditions’ . Apple has announced it will appeal the decision. The ruling is just one part of a larger legal battle that Apple is facing around violations of competition law around the globe.

The competition team at Osborne Clarke has been advising Match Group, which operates a portfolio of brands including Tinder and Hinge, on this matter. The team, led by partner Roderick Nieuwmeyer, included Loïck Goddeau and Leon Mensink of Kennedy van der Laan.

"This historic judgment confirms that the Dutch regulators are committed to protecting consumers and market competitiveness, and willing to investigate the largest digital players. Match Group has maintained that Apple's abusive practices put them at a disadvantage and the courts have confirmed, once again, that this is the case." 

Roderick Nieuwmeyer, Head of EU law, Belgium and The Netherlands