Apple App Store: Apple Plans New Fees and Restrictions for Downloads Outside App Store in Europe According to Digital Markets Act
Following the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple is reportedly planning to introduce new fees and restrictions for downloads outside the app store for the European customers.
Mumbai, January 25: Apple to start adding new fees and impose new restrictions as it plans to allow third-party application downloads outside its app store. The announcement came after the company was enforced the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by the EU. Earlier, Apple filed a legal case against the decision taken by the EU's new act that aimed to make it easier for people to move between competing services, but now the company along with others are complying with the law.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, all tech firms must comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act by March 7. The DMA will be limited only to Europe, allowing users to download software on their respective iPhones without using the App Store. The new adjustments will reportedly introduce new fees and restrictions for users who download apps outside Apple's closed ecosystem. Samsung Will Likely Launch Affordable Foldable Smartphone To Fulfill Rising Demand by Fans in Second Half of 2024: Reports.
The report said that Mark Zuckerberg-run Meta also complied with the new act, saying the users will have more choices on how they consume the company's services. As per a report by LiveMint, along with Meta platforms, Spotify and other companies also started preparing for the new download options for the customers as per the new rules. Meta is reportedly considering a system that would allow people to download the apps directly from Facebook ads.
On the other hand, the music streaming platform Spotify will reportedly offer users the ability to download some apps to iPhone directly from the website. The report mentioned that Microsoft had previously launched its third-party app store for games. According to the reports, the new law addressed the anticompetitive practices of tech companies, especially targeting Apple's dominance of iPhone app downloads through app stores. Microsoft Reaches 'USD 3 Trillion' Market Cap For First Time in Its 48-Year History, Becomes Second Company After Apple.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) was introduced in Europe to ensure fair and open digital markets. According to the European Commission, "The Digital Markets Act aims to ensure that these platforms behave fairly online."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2024 10:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).