According to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) legislation issued by the European Parliament to regulate the misconduct of online platforms, it will come into effect on March 7th. Apple will have to comply by providing users in the EU with alternative options to download apps beyond the App Store. Details about how Apple will implement this have not been officially announced yet, but The Wall Street Journal has reported on Apple’s negotiations with EU regulatory agencies in recent times. Apple emphasizes that downloading apps through the App Store ensures user safety as they conduct thorough app reviews. However, if users are allowed to download apps through other channels, Apple should also review and verify those apps. The report also mentions that, apart from app reviews, Apple is discussing ways to enable the collection of revenue shares from those apps. There is currently no information on how Apple plans to control these stores, but the fee payment aspect could potentially be based on the latest approach by Apple, which allows developers to pay fees outside the App Store in the United States, with Apple retaining a 27% fee.
TLDR: The Digital Markets Act will soon require Apple to provide alternative app download options beyond the App Store for EU users. While the official implementation details are not yet announced, negotiations between Apple and EU regulatory agencies are ongoing. Apple stresses the safety of downloading from the App Store, but if users have other channels to download apps, Apple should review and verify those apps as well. Additionally, Apple is exploring ways to collect revenue shares from these apps. The future control mechanism for these stores is still unknown, but it’s possible that the fee payment structure could be influenced by Apple’s recent approach in the United States.
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