With the iOS 17.5 update, Apple will allow iOS users to download apps outside of the App Store. This measure of compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) goes against the principles of the Apple brand, which defends a closed ecosystem.
In force for almost a month, the DMA requires large platforms considered as access controllers to open up to competition in Europe, in order to allow smaller players to emerge. Apple, like Google, Meta, Microsoft, ByteDance and Amazon, is forced to comply with the legislation. In the event of non-compliance, companies face a fine of up to 10% of their overall turnover, or even 20% for repeated violations.
Many criteria for developers to respect
The Cupertino company had no choice but to announce drastic changes to iOS within the European Union (EU). The first changes were visible with iOS 17.4, which allows developers to offer their applications on alternative marketplaces. The new iteration of the operating system goes even further.
This April 2, Apple released the first beta version of iOS 17.5. As expected, the update supports downloading apps from developer websites, a first in iOS history. To offer their platform in this way, they must nevertheless meet specific criteria, for example by being members of the Apple Developer Program for at least two consecutive years. Their app must also have been installed more than 1 million times within the EU in the previous year.
Apple has long argued to escape this new rule, in particular by ensuring that it goes against the security promoted on iOS. With this in mind, affected developers will still be required to undergo its notarization process and publish transparent data collection policies.
Apple’s new policy called into question
While developers opting for this alternative will no longer have to pay a commission to Apple, they will still be subject to the Core Technology Fee. Concretely, they will have to pay 50 euro cents for each first application installation, when the threshold of 1 million downloads has been exceeded.
These new pricing policies have been the subject of strong criticism from some major developers, including Epic Games and Spotify. The European Commission also does not seem convinced. An investigation has been opened to determine whether the new features introduced by Apple are in real agreement with the DMA.
Source : MacRumors
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