> What does thumbing their noses mean? They have been paying while continuing their behavior, or not paying at all?

Malicious compliance. For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games_v._Apple

"While Apple implemented App Store policies to allow developers to link to alternative payment options, the policies still required the developer to provide a 27% revenue share back to Apple, and heavily restricted how they could be shown in apps. Epic filed complaints that these changes violated the ruling, and in April 2025 Rogers found for Epic that Apple had willfully violated her injunction, placing further restrictions on Apple including banning them from collecting revenue shares from non-Apple payment methods or imposing any restrictions on links to such alternative payment options. Though Apple is appealing this latest ruling, they approved the return of Fortnite with its third-party payment system to the App Store in May 2025."

Or https://developer.apple.com/support/dma-and-apps-in-the-eu/

"UPDATE: Previously, Apple announced plans to remove the Home Screen web apps capability in the EU as part of our efforts to comply with the DMA."

(This one resulted in enough fuss they backed down.)