European Union App Store users are being shown warnings in the App Store about apps that let users make payments directly to developers — despite this being a clear violation of the Digital Markets Act.
Apple has already been fined $570 million for anticompetitive practices under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), although it is appealing. Now it at least appears to be asking for a further fine, because it has added warnings expressly designed to dissuade users from buying apps with alternative payment processes.
It’s actually in the recent US ruling that Apple was explicitly forbidden to use what are called “scare screens”. The EU has not as yet ruled against that specific technique, although in March 2024 it was alerted to Apple’s plans by rivals including Epic Games.
Nonetheless, the EU has focused on Apple’s alleged anticompetitive practices. In its announcement of its ruling in April 2025, the EU said that it “ordered Apple to remove the technical and commercial restrictions on steering and to refrain from perpetuating the non-compliant conduct in the future, which includes adopting conduct with an equivalent object or effect.”
Now as spotted by developer Viktor Maric, Apple has added a warning to App Store listings for apps that contain their own payment systems.
Apple is using what it calls its caution symbol, an exclamation mark in a triangle. Its developer documentation describes that only in a macOS section of its human interface guidelines, but still stresses that it must be used sparingly.
“Use the symbol only when extra attention is really needed, as when confirming an action that might result in unexpected loss of data,” it says. “Don’t use the symbol for tasks whose only purpose is to overwrite or remove data, such as a save or empty trash.”
There are no guidelines for displaying warnings in the App Store itself, although developers get extensive instruction for what notifications their apps can contain.
So it appears that Apple has not contravened the letter of its own rules, but it is deploying its highest level of warnings in a situation that doesn’t warrant it.
Similarly, Apple doesn’t seem to be directly contravening any explicit instruction from the EU. Since the warning is contained within the App Store listing instead of being on a separate screen, it may technically not even be in breach of the recent US ruling.
Apple’s response
In a statement to AppleInsider, Apple said that the warning displayed is not a new addition. It has reportedly been in place since March 2024, and details of it were included in Apple’s discussions with the European Union.
Apple further said that the European Commission did not object to the screen. It was part of Apple’s overall compliance proposals which it is claimed the EU told it not to implement at that stage.
As Apple has previously said in its appeal against the EU’s $570 million fine, the EU gave no further guidance. It allegedly then fined Apple specifically for not implementing the measures the company had proposed.
The EU has not responded to the coverage of the warning screen, but it did previously refute Apple’s claim of the European Commission failing to respond to proposals. EC spokesperson Lea Zuber said that the Commission’s fine “only addresses the solution that Apple decided to roll out, not any other hypothetical approach that the company might have been considering.”
What may happen next
It’s this kind of dancing right on the line of non-compliance that has led to Apple being forced to make changes to the US App Store.
In every single way bar anti-steering, Apple won its years-long App Store trial against Epic Games. But it was solely how it chose to fight that anti-steering issue that Judge Gonzalez Rogers described as “insubordination,” and a “gross miscalculation.”
Now it appears that Apple is trying to push as far as it can against the EU’s anti-competition too. Apple has previously made persuasive arguments about the EU requirements making the App Store less secure, but this is a test of compliance that’s unlikely to be allowed to continue.
Updated: 05:55 Eastern on May 16, 2025 with Apple’s response.
