Apple To Open App Store To Competitors in EU As It Seeks To Avoid Fines

Apple will allow developers in the European Union to distribute iOS apps outside its App Store, the company said Thursday in a bid to avoid escalating fines from Brussels regulators. The policy change came on the deadline for Apple to comply with EU rules or face new financial penalties that can reach up to 5% of average daily worldwide revenue.

The $3 trillion iPhone maker has been negotiating with the European Commission for two months after receiving a $585 million fine for breaching the EU's Digital Markets Act. The landmark legislation targets the power of Big Tech companies and requires Apple to open its mobile ecosystem to competitors.

The second change, set to go into effect in January 2026, would replace the current "core technology fee" model -- a separate charge imposed on developers -- with a commission-based structure.

Re: French Wine Shops

[drinkypoo]

They already do keep bottles from California, our wines regularly win international competitions featuring their wines. Nobody wants anything from New Jersey.

Re:

[drnb]

They already do keep bottles from California, our wines regularly win international competitions featuring their wines. Nobody wants anything from New Jersey.

So, you've never had a NJ pork roll have you? :-)

Re:

[drnb]

They already do keep bottles from California, our wines regularly win international competitions featuring their wines. Nobody wants anything from New Jersey.

The residents of 47 other states would probably disagree after having the pizza.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

The residents of 47 other states would probably disagree after having the pizza.

We have every kind of pizza here in California, although if you live in bumfuck, most of it is trash. My favorite in this state so far is Escape From NY on the Haight.

Re:

[drnb]

The residents of 47 other states would probably disagree after having the pizza.

We have every kind of pizza here in California, although if you live in bumfuck, most of it is trash. My favorite in this state so far is Escape From NY on the Haight.

You are kind of making my point. These rare exceptions in California are at the level of a common neighborhood pizzeria in NYC and NJ. Probably run by someone originally from NYC / NJ.

Folks from Illinois will make a claim about Deep Dish. I'll grant them a #2 spot. :-) A few people from Chicago may have opened restaurants in CA too and offer superior pizza.

Re:

[Smonster]

Tomatoes, cannabis, and beaches. That’s all I want from NJ.

Re: French Wine Shops

[tiananmen tank man]

Where in the summary does it say 3rd party apps are being stored/distributed on apple servers?

Re:

[Rinnon]

So in exchange, now wine shops in France must keep bottles of wines from California and New Jersey on their shelves?

I suppose what you're intimating is that it is not acceptable for Apple to be made to follow the laws of Europe, even when it is specifically for the business that they are doing in Europe. Presumably, however, if a Chinese company was doing business in America, you would expect them to follow the laws of America while they were there, yes? Or are you suggesting that a company should only ever have to follow the laws of their country of origin?

Re:

[OrangeTide]

resumably, however, if a Chinese company was doing business in America, you would expect them to follow the laws of America while they were there, yes?

No. that's generally not the case. Chinese companies don't have to follow the US's environmental rules or labor laws.

Re:

[OrangeTide]

(sorry. I forgot to close the <quote> tag)

Re: French Wine Shops

[drinkypoo]

"Chinese companies don't have to follow the US's environmental rules or labor laws."

False. If they do business here, that business has to comply with those laws, for what little they are worth.

Re:

[OrangeTide]

Federal Minimum wage? Clear Air Act?

Are you pulling my leg?

Re:

[nicubunu]

I am pretty sure the suggestion is than companies all over the world should follow the US law and only that.

Just add the scary side loading warning ...

[drnb]

Just add the scary side loading warning. Set some global flag that side loading was used. Include that in the standard telemetry. That might help spot malware more quickly, noting statistically significant difference between clean and side loaded systems.

A commission-based structure, eh?

[dgatwood]

Sounds like Apple is just trying to find another way to sidestep a judicial order to me. Apple shouldn't have any right to charge a core technology fee or a commission on sales that they aren't involved in.

• Developers already paid for the cost of the devices, the operating system, and the libraries that are part of that operating system, as did users.
• The SDK itself consists of headers and symbol tables, which likely aren't protected by copyright per se (see also Google v. Oracle, SCO v IBM, etc.) and th

Cue the predictable wave

[hdyoung]

of people side-loading predatory stuff and then expecting Apple to take responsibility. Then they'll all get angry when Apple says "you opted for sideloading, we got nuthin to do with this, we never touched your money or saw your account info. good luck getting any support or reimbursement from the app itself. Their corporate headquarters is in North Korea"

Everyone will blame Apple anyways. It'll be a PR nightmare. Not that I have much sympathy for Apple. But it'll just be another case of leopards-eatin

Re:

[alexgieg]

Android has had sideloading for decades, and none of that happens.

Re:

[hdyoung]

There are approximately a trillion articles out there dissecting the issues with sideloading.

Re:

[FudRucker]

Not saying bad things never happen but I side loaded the hell out of my android phone with lots of nice free open source software but I get it from a popular known good & safe repository and never had a problem, even Google's malware picks the apps up and recognizes them as safe, just dont download apps from strange & spooky websites and you'll be okay

Re:

[registrations_suck]

People will bitch about and blame Apple NO MATTER WHAT it does.

It could liquidate all assets and donate all its money to St. Jude's cancer center for children, and people would STILL bitch.

Re:

[bn-7bc]

Peopkemignt but h, bur apples estors would sue the board for nordoing what is in theirbest interest, ans they would probably win IANAL but i think this scares theboard members way more then some cousumors bitcging

must report external transactions that apple takes

[Joe_Dragon]

must report external transactions that apple takes zero part of?

Games that apple does not host don't cost apple more then other apps.

Why should netflix pay apple an cut of the sub fees when apple does not host or make any netflix content.

Separate charge- commission based?

[FudRucker]

They still want to take a slice of EVERYBODY'S pie, this is why I won't buy another Apple product, when my current iphone dies I am going to look into an android phone that is not tied to google hopefully there is one that works in the USA

Notarizing macOS software just need the dev fee

[Joe_Dragon]

Notarizing macOS software just need the dev fee per year.
That should be all that is needed to side load apps and the setting should allow app store and Notarized apps by default.

Also have an setting for full side loading with no Notarizing needed.

The Sign Said...

[cstacy]

But the sign said "All You Can Eat" !

"Yes. That's all you can eat."

you been hear 4 hour you go now!

[Joe_Dragon]

you been hear 4 hour you go now!

Is this true sideloading?

[jonwil]

Is it like Android where you can just load any app you want or does Apple still get to say no if your app does something Apple doesn't approve of?