Apple announced it would allow developers to redirect consumers to alternative apps and is introducing new fees after the company faced criticism from the European Commission.
Apple has made changes to the operation of its app store in the EU following allegations that the company was violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The new rules are a direct response to issues raised by the European Commission earlier this year. The Commission said the App Store rules violated the DMA because they prevented app developers from freely redirecting consumers to alternative channels.
The latest update lifts those previously imposed restrictions on app developers in the EU. The company said developers would be able to promote offers for purchases available “in a destination of their choice” under the updated terms, which will take effect in the fall.
“The destination can be an alternative app marketplace, another app, or a website, and can be accessed outside the app or through a web view displayed in the app,” Apple wrote in a blog post.
The new rules also allow developers to design and implement offer actions within their own apps, using “an actionable link that can be tapped, clicked, or scanned to take users to their destination.”
Apple has also been criticized in the past for the fees it imposes on developers. In previous complaints, the European Commission said the fee Apple receives when developers acquire a new customer through the App Store goes “beyond what is strictly necessary for such remuneration.”
But Apple’s new terms and conditions include an updated fee structure for apps that link to a website, including an initial acquisition fee and a store service fee.
The initial acquisition fee is a payment Apple receives for all sales of digital goods and services made by a customer “on any platform” within a 12-month period following an initial installation. This fee is 5%.
The Store Services Fee is a similar commission Apple receives on sales of digital goods and services made by a customer on any platform within a set 12-month period, including app updates and new installs. This fee is 10 percent, except for “participants in the App Store Small Business Program or a qualified auto-renewable subscription beyond one year,” who only have to pay 5 percent.
Time will tell if these new rules are enough to appease the EU. Apple has proposed possible changes in the past to comply with the DMA, but these proposals have been met with criticism.
Apple also announced that the release of new features, including Apple Intelligence, for its products in the EU would be delayed due to challenges related to DMA compliance.
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