No, Apple's new controversial “core technology fee” won't be abolished for EU app developers who opted for the iPhone maker's new trading terms designed to comply with the region's digital market laws. However, Apple today announced some small concessions based on feedback from the app developer community, the company said. Specifically, the company no longer requires legal entities to sign up to new DMA terms with all subaccounts, and no longer requires standby letters of credit. Additionally, the move to opt-in to DMA terms is no longer a one-way switch. Alternatively, under certain circumstances the developer has the option of switching to an existing condition only once he is able to do so. This means a standard 15% to 30% fee, rather than the reduced fee under the new rules.
However, these changes do not address the main complaints about Apple's DMA rules, which include reducing App Store purchase fees in favor of other new fees. At issue is Apple's new “core technology fee,” in which developers pay Apple 0.50 euros per year for every first install of an app distributed outside the App Store over 1 million times. is required to pay.
Major developers such as Spotify and Epic Games have slammed Apple's plan to “comply” with the DMA, calling it “extortion” and “malicious” compliance, among other things. Other tech companies, including Meta, Mozilla and Microsoft, have also criticized Apple's DMA rules, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling the requirements “very onerous” and calling developers said he did not see how that requirement could be adopted. A developer consortium led by Epic and Spotify also sent an open letter to the European Commission, urging it to take “swift, timely and decisive action” against Apple to assess its compliance and protect developers. asked the government.
Apple made no moves to adjust its pricing structure with these new changes. Rather, it is adjusting some clearly less compliant conditions, such as the requirement that marketplace app developers need a €1 million letter of credit from an A-rated financial institution to qualify for DMA. . That would prevent individuals and small developers from signing up, meaning Apple would not be fully compliant with the law.
Another change will allow larger enterprise entities to choose which developer accounts opt-in to DMA rules and which do not opt-in at the developer account level. Previously, Apple required companies to sign up for each membership they managed if they wanted to opt in to her DMA rules. This also makes no sense, since different departments in a large company need to be able to make their own business decisions and act accordingly.
Apple may have known in advance that these types of rules would not work, and in an effort to comply and “listen” to the community, they decided to rescind the rules before being told to do so. Maybe it was a choice.
Another change would seem to make it easier for developers to test and revert DMA rules, but that's not necessarily the case.
Instead, Apple says developers can terminate the DMA Addendum once without terminating the Developer Agreement, but only if:You have not placed your application on or distributed through the Alternative App Marketplace (EU), used Linking Out, or used Alternative Payment Processing.”
In other words, if the developer did not actually start the business on the new terms.
According to the company, even if a developer signs a contract, if the contract has already been terminated, it cannot be terminated again. In addition, Apple says it will continue to charge developers who terminate their contracts for core technology fees that must be paid within 30 days. You can then choose to return to DMA rules at a later date if you wish.
Apple announced these changes to DMA rules in conjunction with the release of Xcode 15.3 and the latest SDKs for iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4, tvOS 17.4, visionOS 1.1, and watchOS 10.4. Apple says developers can now begin submitting apps under DMA terms and can now measure the first annual number of installs their apps accumulate.
The company also updated its app review guidelines to include references to new DMA rules, including that app developers cannot copy names, icons, or images from other mobile platforms or alternative marketplaces. It also says that alternative app marketplaces cannot collect personal information about users unless the user specifically consents, and cannot use public databases to collect that personal information. It also said that apps that do not comply with the guidelines will be blocked from installation, including through alternative app marketplaces.
