Apple changes app store policy after EU Commission findings

The policy change comes into affect in the European Union to enable developers to communicate with customers outside the Apple App Store.

This comes after the tech multinational was charged by the European Commission (EC) in June for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The new policy now allows developers to communicate with potential customers and promote their own products and offers available outside of the Apple website and app.

An EU Commission official said: “We will assess Apple’s eventual changes to the compliance measures, also taking into account any feedback from the market, notably developers.”

Historically developers could only communicate through link-outs which are in-app links by developers to redirect customers to conclude a contract.

Spotify has been in a dispute with Apple previously over in-app links and has said it will be assessing Apple’s proposal.

A spokesperson said: “At first glance, by demanding as much as a 25% fee for basic communication with users, Apple once again blatantly disregards the fundamental requirements of the Digital Markets Act.”

The EC which regulates competition in the EU said in June that Apple’s App Store squeezes out rival marketplaces – the first time a company has been found to be in breach of the act.

If Apple is found to be subverting the rules set by the act it could face a fine of up to 10% of its global revenue.

The new policy change will introduce two new fees including a 5% customer acquisition fee for new users and a 10% store services fee for sales made by app users on any platform within a year of app installation.

These new fees will replace the previous reduced commission fee charged for all digital goods and services sold through the App Store.

Apple will continue to charge an optional fee for payments and commerce services.

“Apple changes app store policy after EU Commission findings” was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.