Viral outrage over Apple’s EU payment warnings misses key fact

image via TechCrunch

May 15, 2025, 9:41 PM

• •Apple clarifies that warning messages about third-party payment systems in the EU App Store are not new.
• •The messages, meant to discourage the use of external payment mechanisms, have been present since March 2024.
• •Confusion arose from a viral social media post, with many users unaware of the existing warnings.

Apple states that the warning messages next to EU App Store listings utilizing third-party payment systems aren't new. These warnings, which appeared to discourage users from external payment methods, have been in place since the beginning of Apple’s DMA Compliance Plan in March 2024. The revelation came in response to a viral social media post that created the false impression of new warnings. Apple had intended to update the message, but the European Commission instructed them to hold off, leading to the continued use of the existing screen.

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