Apple has revised its App Store policies again, taking into account findings made by the European Commission (EC) earlier this year, in a bid to avoid a hefty fine under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
Updates to the Marketplace Policy include providing mechanisms that allow developers to freely direct consumers to alternative payment options outside of the App Store.
Apple introduced a system called StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement in January, but the EU regulator found that the terms and conditions for this method do not allow developers to communicate offers and promotions available on their preferred platform.
The iPhone maker claims that the latest updates will give developers the ability to direct consumers to external purchases “at a destination of their choice,” including marketplaces or third-party payment platforms and websites.
In the past, developers have criticized Apple for forcing them to design their own websites, which ultimately leads to higher costs.
Other changes include that developers can now use “any number of URLs” without having to declare them in the Apple App Store’s information property list. The company added that “links with parameters, redirects, and intermediate links to landing pages are allowed.”
Apple also introduced new fee structures tied to commissions for the services of platform developers, connecting them to customers through a “two-tier” payment system.
An EU spokesman said Financial Times (FT) it will “evaluate any changes Apple may make to its compliance measures, taking into account any feedback from the market, particularly from developers.”
However, lobby group Coalition for App Fairness called Apple’s overhaul “another confusing, arbitrary and expensive fee structure” designed to maintain market dominance.
The EU Commission will announce a decision on its ongoing investigation into Apple’s anti-steering practices in 2025.
If convicted, the technology giant would have to pay a fine of up to 10 percent of its global turnover.
