Apple Amends EU App Store Rules Amid Antitrust Pressure
Apple has modified its App Store rules in the EU following pressure from antitrust regulators. Developers will face new processing fees ranging up to 20% for purchases, with alternatives for directing payments outside the App Store. Changes aim to meet EU compliance and avoid hefty penalties.
Apple announced changes to its App Store rules in the European Union on Thursday, following orders from the bloc's antitrust regulators. The company aims to remove commercial barriers and will impose a 20% processing fee for purchases via the App Store, reducing to as low as 13% for small-business participants.
As part of the new regulations, developers using external payment options will incur fees from 5% to 15%. The adjustments target compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act, avoiding a daily fine of 5% of Apple's global revenue. This follows Apple's prior payment of a 500 million euro fine imposed by EU regulators.
Despite plans to appeal, Apple is under scrutiny as the European Commission reviews these changes for legal alignment. Industry figures, such as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, criticize the measures as inadequate for fostering fair competition, claiming they still disadvantage apps using alternate payment methods.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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