Apple to Dilute Tough App Store Rules

The move followed a long battle with regulators over the company’s tight controls of its App Store.

· New rules from October 2026: Apple will revise its App Store business terms for developers in the European Union.

· Lower commission: Apple will reduce its standard 30% commission on in-app purchases, with the rate depending on app distribution and payment-processing arrangements.

· Removal of certain fees: Several existing fees charged to developers will be eliminated.

· Alternative payment systems: Developers will be allowed to offer payment methods other than Apple’s payment system.

· Direct web distribution: Developers will be permitted to distribute apps directly over the internet, outside the App Store.

· More third-party app stores: Apple will allow more companies to establish and operate alternative app marketplaces on its devices.

· Single EU business framework: Apple will introduce a single set of business terms for developers distributing apps in the EU.

· EU Digital Markets Act (DMA): The changes follow years of regulatory scrutiny under the EU's Digital Markets Act, enacted in 2022 to promote competition in digital markets.

· €500 million penalty: In April 2025, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million for restricting developers from informing customers about alternative purchasing options.

· Third-party store restrictions: EU regulators have also criticised Apple for limiting access to third-party app stores.

· Global antitrust pressure: Apple’s App Store practices have faced scrutiny in several jurisdictions, including the US, Brazil and South Korea.

· European Commission response: The Commission welcomed Apple’s changes but said it would monitor their implementation.

· Child protection measures: Apple will introduce additional safeguards for younger users:

o Under 18: Parental approval will be required for purchases using alternative payment methods or made through the web.

o Under 13: Web-based in-app purchases will not be permitted.

Key Takeaway

Apple is significantly opening up its EU App Store ecosystem, reducing fees and allowing alternative payments, app stores and web distribution, largely in response to the European Commission’s antitrust enforcement under the DMA.

[ABS News Service/19.08.2026]

Apple said on Tuesday (18.08.2026) that it would change its rules for app developers in the European Union, in a bid to end a long antitrust dispute with regulators there over how the company manages its App Store.

Starting in October, Apple will remove several fees for those developers and take a smaller cut than its standard 30 percent from in-app purchases, with rates depending on how apps are distributed and payments are processed. Apple will also allow developers to offer payment methods aside from its own and to distribute apps via the internet, and will permit more companies to create third-party app stores.

The changes follow years of antitrust scrutiny for Apple and the App Store, from the United States to Brazil to South Korea. Regulators have said Apple uses the digital marketplace to crush competition, and developers have complained about the company’s high fees and strict rules. The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, has been among the most aggressive enforcers.

“These changes resolve Apple’s disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution,” Apple wrote in a blog post. “They also reduce complexity by moving every developer that distributes apps in the EU to a single set of business terms.”

The commission said it welcomed Apple’s changes to the App Store and would monitor how they were carried out.

In 2022, the European Union enacted the Digital Markets Act, a law meant to increase competition in the digital economy. In April last year, the European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros ($570 million at the time), saying the company had violated the law by limiting how developers could communicate with customers about sales and other offers. Regulators also ruled against Apple for restricting access to third-party app stores on its devices.

Apple said on Tuesday that it would also introduce protections for younger users in the European Union.

Users under 18 will need parental approval for in-app purchases that use alternative payment methods or take place on the internet. Users under 13 will not be able to make in-app purchases via the web.