Apple faces strong action if changes to its App Store do not meet incoming European Union regulations, the bloc\u2019s industry chief said on Friday.In a move designed to comply with the EU\u2019s incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA), the company will soon allow software developers to distribute their apps to Apple devices via alternative stores.From early March, developers will be able to offer alternative app stores on iPhones and opt out of using Apple\u2019s in-app payment system, which charges commissions of up to 30%.However, critics have said the changes do not go far enough, arguing Apple\u2019s fee structure remains unfair, and that the changes may be in violation of the DMA.Asked about Apple\u2019s plans, EU industry chief Thierry Breton exclusively told Reuters: \u201cThe DMA will open the gates of the internet to competition so that digital markets are fair and open. Change is already happening. As from 7 March we will assess companies\u2019 proposals, with the feedback of third parties.\u201dHe added: \u201cIf the proposed solutions are not good enough, we will not hesitate to take strong action.\u201dUnder Apple\u2019s new EU regime, developers will still have to submit apps to Apple for review for cybersecurity risks and obvious fraud.Apple device users in the EU will also be able to choose their default web browsers and contactless payments apps, meaning they could make contactless payments without using the Apple Pay system.But even if developers opt not to use Apple\u2019s App Store or payment system, they will still be required to pay a \u201ccore technology fee\u201d of 50 euro cents per user account per year.With millions of free users, companies such as Meta and Spotify are likely to get hit more than smaller developers. Neither company was immediately available for comment.Paulo Trezentos, CEO of alternative app store Aptoide, said: \u201cIt was a surprise to us. We heard rumours some changes were coming, but we didn\u2019t expect them to be this thorough.\u201cThis was definitely a good move, but the fees are still too high. We are preparing to send formal feedback to the European Commission.\u201dA spokesperson for the European Commission said: \u201cWe take note of Apple\u2019s announcements ahead of the compliance deadline on 7 March. We do not comment on these announcements.\u201cWe strongly encourage designated gatekeepers to test their proposals with third parties.\u201d(Reuters)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Apple is facing potential strong action from the European Union if its changes to the App Store do not meet the incoming regulations set by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company will soon allow software developers to distribute their apps through alternative stores and opt out of using Apple’s in-app payment system. However, critics argue that the changes are not sufficient and may violate the DMA. EU industry chief Thierry Breton stated that if the proposed solutions are not satisfactory, strong action will be taken. Under the new regime, developers will still have to submit apps to Apple for review, and users will be able to choose their default web browsers and contactless payment apps. However, developers will still be required to pay a “core technology fee” of 50 euro cents per user account per year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[247,186,279,33,426,81,3,379,599,613,109,34,252,380,170],"class_list":["post-2410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyprus","tag-apple","tag-business","tag-comment","tag-companies","tag-competition","tag-cybersecurity","tag-cyprus","tag-eu","tag-euro","tag-insider-economy","tag-internet","tag-markets","tag-meta","tag-us","tag-violation"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n