Apple Reinstates Epic Games EU Developer Account, Paving the Way for Alternative App Store

[vipergts2207]

Every other day it seems like there’s an article on Apple reversing course on one thing or another lmao. Before this it was not allowing web apps in the EU. Apple’s immature teenager level of pettiness and defiance really makes them look like a bunch of amateurs.

 

[spazzcat]

Can somebody tell me if I'm missing anything here?

Eddy Cue's Email:

Tim Sweeney's Response:

Eddy Cue:
I don't believe you... [Terminates Developer Account]

EU: Looks in Apple's Direction 👀

Eddy Cue:
sigh...Alright, fine. You can have your Developer Account back.

Or they are looking at a signed paper by Tim Sweeney saying he understands the rules and agrees to follow them.

 

[Realityck]

I guess I should feel happy for the small independent developers this legislation was supposed to help, but instead it’s multi-billion dollar Epic Games.

Great job, EU…

Let's not forget Epic's major backer Tencent. They have a 40% stake of Epic in all of this. For Spotify it's only 9.1% of shares.

 

[Analog Kid]

Also, last I checked, Sweden - EU member.

This is the part that bothers me. I remember when the EU presented themselves as a more progressive alternative to the US, leading by example on global issues. This coarse protectionism is unbecoming and really undermines their stature in the world.

 

[9059737]

Why can't I just walk into Target, set up a booth and sell some stuff?

That ridiculous and completely inaccurate store comparison again...

 

[spazzcat]

Ever my other day it seems like there’s an article in Apple reversing course on one thing or another lmao. Before this it was not allowing web apps in the EU. They look like a bunch of amateurs.

Maybe they got clarity from the EU and it was ok for them to continue to run only in Webkit seeing how that is what they are doing.

 

[gnipgnop]

This is absolutely ridiculous and Apple made a fool of themselves by first banning Epic, then reinstating them. That's a PR nightmare.

Apple knew what they were doing. Epic has now publicly gone on record assuring that they'll follow Apple's EU developer agreement.

 

[GrayFlannel]

What Epic fans here are not reading but should is Apple leveraged the EU to get assurances that Epic will comply with Contract Law and if they do not they are gone.

I’m not an Epic fan but the EU Commission is taking credit for Apple’s backtracked decision.

There is no way the government even had time to file any paperwork.

Apple knew what they were doing. Epic has now publicly gone on record assuring that they'll follow Apple's EU developer agreement.

See Thierry Breton’s (EU Commission) statement (from the Verge):

Under the DMA, there is no room for threats by gatekeepers to silence developers. I have asked our services to look into Apple’s termination of Epic’s developer account as a matter of priority. To all developers now is the time to have your say on gatekeepers’ compliance solutions!

The European Commission is taking credit for the reinstatement of Epic’s developer license. In a post on X, Commissioner Thierry Breton says he takes “note with satisfaction that following our contacts Apple decided to backtrack its decision on Epic exclusion.”

 

[spazzcat]

This is the part that bothers me. I remember when the EU presented themselves as a more progressive alternative to the US, leading by example on global issues. This coarse protectionism is unbecoming and really undermines their stature in the world.

Yep, all of this is to protect their home companies and money. I would love to know how much Epic and Spotify bribe donate to these politicians.

 

[deckard666]

Lol, good.

Apple Explains Why It Terminated Epic's Latest Developer Account

Apple today said it has terminated Epic Games Sweden's developer account worldwide due to the game developer's pattern of untrustworthy...

www.macrumors.com

Now it’s funnier reading the comments at the article above, of people relishing over big bad Epic being banned from the EU.

Rough news day for people who don’t want Fortnite on iOS for some reason.

Let’s just wait for them to hang themselves …. Let’s see how long that takes….

 

[Analog Kid]

Or they are looking at a signed paper by Tim Sweeney saying he understands the rules and agrees to follow them.

Or perhaps a bond in escrow to cover the eventuality of Epic reverting to past behaviors. There are clearly communications not shown in the excerpts Epic shared (just as there were the last time Epic played this publicity game).

 

[BrightDarkSky]

Yes let’s abandon a 90 billion a year market in order to save our App Store revenue, that’ll go over well with shareholders…

where do they get these people? the childish thinking is legion. what happened to law and order? follow the damn law or get the hell out of the EU LOL

This is absolutely ridiculous and Apple made a fool of themselves by first banning Epic, then reinstating them. That's a PR nightmare.

In my opinion, they need better lawyers for the whole EU situation. It almost seems like they've been badly advised by lawyers who don't know how crazy EU politics can get when they wanna screw with big companies.

As someone else said, Apple needs an actual second headquarter somewhere in the EU, where people can just "backchannel" and get along. Trying to coordinate that from Cupertino where they have no clue about how the EU works is bound to fail (or at least make Apple commit a lot of expensive mistakes).

And no, I'm not a fan of the EU, and happy to live in a country in Europe that is not part of it.

I agree, as narcissistic as Apple is, their actions of late especially seem to be way out of character. it's either they've been spoiled by getting their way, or something is really wrong at the top.

I mean even when they're out there making themselves look stupid with the special 8 gigs of RAM nonsense, you really got to wonder what's going on with their communications.

Also laughing in the face of their customers who desperately want an upgraded 27-inch imac, just to add in to the actual marketing of the 24 inch that we don't need a bigger one, that size is perfect, and they have no intention of making another 27 in. it's just unusually cruel even for them.

but at the end of the day they're fighting tooth and nail to make sure they keep their gross monster margins, and they're willing to look like the bad guy to get it done. it doesn't exactly help them as we see in this case, but until there is some systemic change and how they communicate with the public and other large developers, this is likely to keep happening.

They found a way to sell consumers on non-upgradable hardware that has to be tossed when it's done...this was their dream goal for the last 20 years and they finally reached it with the iPad being the catalyst...and now they found a way to sell you a desktop in pieces. If you don't get a super cheap to manufacturer iMac that actually comes with a keyboard and a mouse, or a laptop, you're out of luck. in my opinion that's very cruel to customers who are investing into your ecosystem that has already plenty of costs involved as extras.

TLDR - basically any own goal from any soccer game ever is when Apple has been doing for the last year.

 

[redheeler]

Bad analogy, but ok - imagine you could only sell and buy your goods in two shop chains worldwide!

Imagine you live in a city where you and others make a living with businesses small and large. Now imagine that Target makes a deal with your city government to purchase and fund maintenance of a large portion of city blocks. As part of the deal, it decrees that these blocks may only contain Target stores, and that all existing people and businesses in this region must pay 30% in taxes on every transaction directly to Target, which will become the required facilitator of these transactions. All non-Target stores are required to close, as well as any other local businesses that it feels are infringing on this role or that it simply doesn't approve of.

This is frankly a better analogy if we want to compare actions in the virtual world to actions in the physical world. I say that because, like the hypothetical city, iOS is a platform with a captive audience where small and large developers hope to make a living with their apps. Making this comparison sounds preposterous and kind of is, this isn't how things work in the physical world (thankfully!) but you get my point.

Someone might argue against my use of "captive audience", what I mean by that is moving to a different city isn't something a lot of people do just because their favorite business is forced to close, and same goes for moving away from iOS to use one app. You as a user might not feel captive if you can just switch to Android, but developers are dealing with what from their perspective is a captive audience.

 

[Lethal-Bacon]

Could you please refer the part of DMA that mandates "for free" part.

[I did not see anything like that in DMA. Nor I think Apple would try to setup EU alternative store rules in a way that would not be compliant with how DMA is written.]

(57) If dual roles are used in a manner that prevents alternative service and hardware providers from having access under equal conditions to the same operating system, hardware or software features that are available or used by the gatekeeper in the provision of its own complementary or supporting services or hardware, this could significantly undermine innovation by such alternative providers, as well as choice for end users. The gatekeepers should, therefore, be required to ensure, free of charge, effective interoperability with, and access for the purposes of interoperability to, the same operating system, hardware or software features that are available or used in the provision of its own complementary and supporting services and hardware. Such access can equally be required by software applications related to the relevant services provided together with, or in support of, the core platform service in order to effectively develop and provide functionalities interoperable with those provided by gatekeepers. The aim of the obligations is to allow competing third parties to interconnect through interfaces or similar solutions to the respective features as effectively as the gatekeeper’s own services or hardware.

What it basically says is that Apple has to create and enable competitors to create their own stores, use Apples hardware and software while providing free access to anyone who wants to compete with them.
There are multiple other sections of the DMA thats talk about fairness of competition and ability of gatekeepers to hold more power over the competitors which effectively results in no change of competition again illegal.

Anyway following months will be very interesting when EU Comission reviews what each Gatekeeper has sent over regarding their individual compliance changes.

 

[User 6502]

Apple should have the right to decide what app stores are allowed to operate on the platform they created and spent billions developing and maintaining. Those blindly defending Epic because they can't get to take free advantage of proprietary technology for their own gain are really sad.

The EU have previous for overstepping and this is nothing new.

No they shouldn’t. The whole point of DMA is exactly that: Apple will have NO say about which apps are run on iPhones. They can decide what gets to go on the App Store but that’s about it.

 

[I7guy]

I clearly forgot jokes often don't translate over the internet. My apologies. This was not a serious recommendation or expectation of what Apple is going to do. I just think it'd be funny to imagine what would happen if the EU Dog caught the car it's chasing. 😂

If one has cancer and the options were cut the arm off to live forever or live a year and don’t do anything. Apple is the latter and they need to be the former. In this case the eu is the cancer.

 

[vegetassj4]

Apple's quick reversal on the initial decision is epic.

 

[Lethal-Bacon]

You say that, but when I updated my iPhone I got a pop up message about alternate app stores and I am in the UK.

that is interesting i did not expect them to enable it in the UK since UK is no longer part of the European Union,i thought they would somehow detect the region where you are and if you are within EU countries then enable those features..

 

[I7guy]

Every other day it seems like there’s an article on Apple reversing course on one thing or another lmao. Before this it was not allowing web apps in the EU. Apple’s immature teenager level of pettiness and defiance really makes them look like a bunch of amateurs.

Yeah, $3T amateurs.

 

[wilhoitm]

I dont know where you guys are from, but things work a little bit differently in the EU.
For example... all the "rules" apple has set up for their "compliance" to our new law(Digital Markets Act) are pretty much irrelevant and some of them even illegal under the DMA if you understand the new law.
Apple has 0 say in who they approve/let compete with them and create the rival App Store on the iOS and they are NOT allowed to ban/terminate any competition regardless if they break what Apple calls their "rules" for the EU.
What they consider compliance is malicious compliance at best and borderline illegal.
For example the "Core Technology Fee" is straight up illegal.
DMA mandates that Apple is to set up their OS in such way that it enables any willing competitor to develop and deploy their rival store FOR FREE.
The only company that decides which apps can and can not be published on rival app store is the rival app store developer/owner.
So when Epic creates and publishes their App Store in the EU there is NOTHING Apple can do to remove them and can not dictate what apps can and can not be published.
Only scenario where Apple can refuse an App to be published is if said app has verifiable malicious code inside of it that will harm the iOS users.

So ladies and gentlemen this year will be full of fireworks, and im gonna go on a limb and say that starting next month after EU Commission reviews all the proposed compliance changes Gatekeepers have sent them that they will immediatelly start a full investigation into Apple for their Core Technology Fee among other things that they are not supposed to dictate.
As you could have seen by events in past weeks, EU has teeth and it will force Apple to change any and all things that is not within our laws, pulling out of market big as EU is not an option for Apple because their shareholders would take a giant L and that would most likely result in board starting to replace Apple Execs who thought that this petty route and complete disregard of our laws was a good idea.

Please do not call me an Apple hater or anything like that, i am a developer and a fan of technology in general, i love Iphones and i use Macs for work on daily basis but that does not mean that i cant be objective towards what they have been doing for years already regarding to their anti consumer, anti competitive and anti developer practices.

I do not know if you have noticed but Apple is an American company and we do things differently over here! Your rules do not apply to us!

 

[gnipgnop]

I’m not an Epic fan but the EU Commission is taking credit for Apple’s backtracked decision.





See Thierry Breton’s (EU Commission) statement:

That's what I mean though: Apple created a situation that guaranteed media attention and the end result is that Epic publicly assures they'll follow the rules. Apple can always point back to that and say "see, this is what we were talking about" if Epic starts messing around. And then Thierry Breton can review his statements about "satisfaction" that Epic would have a developer account.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

They own the software that makes your iPhone an iPhone. When you buy a phone you pay for a license to use that software the way they say you can use it.

Per the recent EU ruling, they actually do have limitations in telling me what I can and cannot do.

But more to the point, no other platform is as limited as iOS.

 

[AndiG]

Yep, all of this is to protect their home companies and money. I would love to know how much Epic and Spotify bribe donate to these politicians.

Nope. This is about fair competition, one of the key rules of our market. There no room any more for Apples „lock competition out, lock users in“ business model.

 

[0134168]

I dont know where you guys are from, but things work a little bit differently in the EU.
For example... all the "rules" apple has set up for their "compliance" to our new law(Digital Markets Act) are pretty much irrelevant and some of them even illegal under the DMA if you understand the new law.
Apple has 0 say in who they approve/let compete with them and create the rival App Store on the iOS and they are NOT allowed to ban/terminate any competition regardless if they break what Apple calls their "rules" for the EU.
What they consider compliance is malicious compliance at best and borderline illegal.
For example the "Core Technology Fee" is straight up illegal.
DMA mandates that Apple is to set up their OS in such way that it enables any willing competitor to develop and deploy their rival store FOR FREE.
The only company that decides which apps can and can not be published on rival app store is the rival app store developer/owner.
So when Epic creates and publishes their App Store in the EU there is NOTHING Apple can do to remove them and can not dictate what apps can and can not be published.
Only scenario where Apple can refuse an App to be published is if said app has verifiable malicious code inside of it that will harm the iOS users.

So ladies and gentlemen this year will be full of fireworks, and im gonna go on a limb and say that starting next month after EU Commission reviews all the proposed compliance changes Gatekeepers have sent them that they will immediatelly start a full investigation into Apple for their Core Technology Fee among other things that they are not supposed to dictate.
As you could have seen by events in past weeks, EU has teeth and it will force Apple to change any and all things that is not within our laws, pulling out of market big as EU is not an option for Apple because their shareholders would take a giant L and that would most likely result in board starting to replace Apple Execs who thought that this petty route and complete disregard of our laws was a good idea.

Please do not call me an Apple hater or anything like that, i am a developer and a fan of technology in general, i love Iphones and i use Macs for work on daily basis but that does not mean that i cant be objective towards what they have been doing for years already regarding to their anti consumer, anti competitive and anti developer practices.

Good explanation. People outside the EU often don´t understand how things work here.

 

[vipergts2207]

Yeah, $3T amateurs.

Oh right I forgot, idiots or the corrupt cannot be rich…