Overview

• Apple has been displaying prominent warnings on EU App Store listings for apps using external payment systems since March 2024, but their use on popular apps like Instacar has drawn new attention in May 2025.
• The warnings include a red exclamation mark icon and caution users that external purchases are not secured by Apple’s payment system, highlighting potential privacy and security risks.
• Critics argue the warnings act as illegal anti-steering measures under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which mandates fair competition and prohibits dissuading users from alternative payment options.
• The European Commission recently fined Apple €500 million in April 2025 for noncompliance with the DMA and ordered the removal of steering restrictions, though Apple has appealed the decision.
• Apple proposed a less alarming disclosure design in August 2024, but the European Commission instructed the company to delay implementation, leaving the current warnings in place.