Historic decision from Apple in Europe

Apple has recently been facing pressure due to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). EU laws have mandated that the company allow users to access third-party applications. The company had until March 7 to complete this and make changes to its app store.

The expected news arrived today. Apple announced that it will make sweeping changes to its App Store policies to comply with EU laws. The changes will arrive with the new version of iOS 17, iOS 17.4, and will only be valid in European countries.

Users in Europe will be able to download apps from third-party platforms. The announcement from the company came ahead of the release of the first beta version of iOS 17.4. The press release states that the new version will make changes across iOS, Safari, and the App Store, and that these changes will be specific to EU countries. Naturally, the biggest change is taking place on the App Store side, as expected.

In its statement, Apple expressed that the App Store will be opened up to “alternative app marketplaces.” This means developers will be able to offer their iOS apps through different platforms. This means that users in the EU will not be tied solely to the App Store and will be able to download apps from different sources.

Beyond this, the tech giant will not charge a commission on apps distributed outside the App Store. At the same time, no commission will be requested for alternative payment systems that will be permitted. Developers will be able to integrate payment methods that allow the user to make a purchase entirely within the app. In addition, they will be able to provide links to websites where payments can be made. Let us add that even if there is no commission, accounts will pay a “Core Technology Fee” of 0.50 euros per install.

Developers will be able to create their own app marketplaces as long as they meet Apple’s criteria for security, customer service, and user experience. Furthermore, when a developer in the EU submits their app to Apple, they will have the opportunity to choose the App Store or an alternative marketplace. However, these stores will need to go through security and privacy processes. That is, just as it is with Mac applications.

COMMISSIONS REDUCED

Apart from this, it was announced that the 30% commission, which developers have complained about a lot, has also been reduced. The commission taken from iOS apps in EU countries will now be 17%. If they use Apple’s own in-app purchase system, they will have to pay an additional 3% fee. The 15% commission in the program offered to small businesses has dropped to 10%. The 3% purchase fee applies here as well.

CHANGES IN SAFARI

Safari, as offered in the European Union, is also among the things changed due to the law. iOS users were already able to make a browser other than Safari their default browser. However, to comply with the DMA, Apple has also offered a new option. This option will be presented to users who open Safari for the first time in iOS 17.4. Here, they will be able to choose whether they want to make Safari or another browser their default.

Furthermore, full versions of browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox will now be accessible. Previously, Apple only allowed WebKit, which forms the foundation of Safari. However, it did not allow Chromium and its equivalents, which form the infrastructure of Chrome. This prevented us from accessing all the features of other browsers. With the new change, users living in the European Union will not encounter these problems.

The company also answered the much-asked question, “Will these changes come outside the EU?” The company says that such a thing will not happen for now. It cites as the reason that these are not safe for its users. According to the company, these changes, brought about solely to comply with EU law, could lead to many things from fraud to malware. In other words, Apple still maintains the view that its own policies are the “safest.”