Apple's Latest App Store Changes Satisfy EU, No More Fines Coming

[MacRumors]

The European Union is set to accept the June updates that Apple made to its App Store to comply with the Digital Markets Act, reports Reuters. As a result, Apple will not face daily fines for non-compliance.

Apple changed its App Store fee setup and removed its anti-steering rules to meet the demands of the European Commission. Developers can now direct customers to purchase options outside the App Store and even accept payments for digital goods in their apps using third-party payment options.

At the European Commission's direction Apple has split its App Store services options to let developers opt out of certain features for a lower fee. There are now two tiers that developers can pay for. The cheaper one eliminates ratings and reviews, App Store featuring and marketing, search suggestions, automatic app updates, and automatic app downloads across devices. The more expensive tier includes all current App Store features and functionality.

Tier 1 store services cost five percent of an app's revenue, and Tier 2 store services cost 13 percent (10 percent for Small Business Program participants). Apple also charges a two percent initial acquisition fee and a five percent Core Technology Commission (CTC). The CTC replaces the CTF, a controversial fee that charged developers €0.50 per app install after one million installs per year.

Right now, there's a split CTC and CTF system for developers who use external links and those who don't, but by January 1, 2026, Apple will have a single business model that includes the services fee, the initial acquisition fee, and the CTC. At maximum, developers will pay 20 percent, and per-install billing won't exist. Developers who choose limited App Store functionality will pay a 12 percent maximum fee. Small Business Program participants will pay between 10 and 15 percent.

If Apple had not changed its App Store fee structure and linking rules, it could have been fined up to five percent of its average daily worldwide revenue (about €50 million) each day. The European Commission is expected to accept the App Store updates "in the coming weeks," but timing could change.

Apple was already fined €500 million for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act, but the company has filed an appeal. Apple is protesting both the fine and the new anti-steering rules that the European Commission required.


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Article Link: Apple's Latest App Store Changes Satisfy EU, No More Fines Coming

 

[MacUserFella]

FINE-ally, am I right?

 

[jz0309]

I'm sure this isn't the end ...
Bureaucrats are creative...

 

[atomwork]

Fine until new EU bureaucrats need more justification to make more edits.

 

[klasma]

From the Reuters article: "All options remain on the table. We are still assessing Apple's proposed changes," the EU watchdog said.

 

[iamgalt]

"no more fines coming"??? 😆😂🤣 Please, the EU will always find another dozen or two ways to fine any successful company.

 

[addamas]

So apps will be cheaper right? Right?

 

[Silverstring]

With Jeff Williams leaving, the EU probably won’t be satisfied until Tim has Design report directly to the European Commission.

 

[AppleTO]

At maximum, developers will pay 20 percent, and per-install billing won't exist.

Tier one is 5%, but the devs have to report revenue? What if they just… don’t? Or if they report it much lower? It’s not going through Apple after all.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I'm sure this isn't the end ...
Bureaucrats are creative...

No, this is probably it for this particular thing. This whole thing was started as a way for Vestager to get more attention as she was vying to be an important political leader in the region. Prior bad calls by her (involving France and Germany) killed that whole thing and shoving the incomplete DMA over the line was just a narcissistic effort. The folks in charge now don’t have her same focus of reducing the profits of the gatekeepers and they’re more interested in simply putting this behind them.

What Apple announced in June was after being locked in a room with the regulators (Vestager would never have allowed such a meeting and ignored Apple multiple requests for one) hammering out details of a deal. For the regulators to now come back and say “What we agreed with you on is now not agreeable to us” just keeps this going and that’s not what they want. This is very likely THE done deal that allows them to turn their focus to other things the current leaders prioritize.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Tier one is 5%, but the devs have to report revenue? What if they just… don’t? Or if they report it much lower? It’s not going through Apple after all.

Apple’s researchers and lawyers likely outmatch any company in the region. It wouldn’t be too hard to find discrepancies and, once they’re not a developer in good standing by not adhering to the agreement, the DMA no longer protects them.

They’ll wholly fall in line because the risk is not worth being yoinked from the App Store.

 

[surferfb]

From the Reuters article: "All options remain on the table. We are still assessing Apple's proposed changes," the EU watchdog said.

"People with direct knowledge of the matter" is media speak for "the EU decision makers or those working directly under them." Of course the spokesperson isn't going to confirm something not announced yet, and the EU has been moving goalposts and clearly operating in bad faith throughout the entire existence of the DMA, but I suspect the report is accurate.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

The European Union is set to accept the June updates that Apple made to its App Store to comply with the Digital Markets Act, reports Reuters. As a result, Apple will not face daily fines for non-compliance.

I think the orange guy threatening additional tariffs on EU, on top of the one going into effect in August probably forces EU to backtrack on the fines.

It’s a huge reversal from EU. They were adamant on imposing more fines on Apple.

 

[breenmask]

all of this just so that Tim Sweeney can keep the extra 30% from kids.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I think the orange guy threatening additional tariffs on EU, on top of the one going into effect in August probably forces EU to backtrack on the fines.

It’s a huge reversal from EU. They were adamant on imposing more fines on Apple.

Vestager was adamant. In the first two major rulings after she was out,
1. They charged a fine 10 times less than the maximum Vestager forced to be in the law as an option, and
2. They allowed companies like Apple to ignore the deadline date and continue to work with no fines

Those two things were clear indications that the folks in charge now aren’t interested in political grandstanding, they just want to get something on the books.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

all of this just so that Tim Sweeney can keep the extra 30% from kids.

Wonder if he’s going to continue to pay the fees for these alternate stores while the Epic Store continues to hemorrhage money?

 

[djphat2000]

Tier one is 5%, but the devs have to report revenue? What if they just… don’t? Or if they report it much lower? It’s not going through Apple after all.

They have to publish their earnings. So, you can only lie so much.

 

[BuffyzDead]

but is Epic Games / Tim Sweeney satisfied ??

THAT is the question !!

 

[Unregistered 4U]

but is Epic Games / Tim Sweeney satisfied ??

THAT is the question !!

Not likely, because he’s still on the hook to give more than 1 cent to Apple

 

[turbineseaplane]

Oh my.

We may have to find a new controversial hot potato merry go round topic for the forum!

 

[BaldiMac]

They have to publish their earnings. So, you can only lie so much.

Only if they're public. And then they don't have to separate out what they make on iOS or even mobile apps.

But that's not an excuse to commit fraud.

 

[con2apple]

I know we're on a site for rumors. But wouldn't it be better to wait for official confirmation?
It is rather unlikely that Apple will be allowed to continue charging fees for access to the iPhone. That would be contrary to free competition and would allow Apple to continue earning money out of thin air.

And once again to all Apple fans:
Just imagine if Microsoft and Google charged Apple a fee every time a user installed "iCloud for Windows" or "Music for Android" on their OS. It wouldn't come from an app store, but simply on principle.
When you think about what Apple wants money for right now, maybe your hatred of competition, fair markets, and the EU will cease.

 

[con2apple]

"People with direct knowledge of the matter" is media speak for "the EU decision makers or those working directly under them." Of course the spokesperson isn't going to confirm something not announced yet, and the EU has been moving goalposts and clearly operating in bad faith throughout the entire existence of the DMA, but I suspect the report is accurate.

It would be nice if you could back up your claims.
At least once.

Because what you're saying is clearly false. The EU doesn't constantly change the rules, nor does it act „in bad faith“.

Wake up, already.
You're not defending your poor sick brother from an evil dictator, you're defending a profit-driven company from having to comply with "laws“.

 

[surferfb]

It would be nice if you could back up your claims.
At least once.

Here's an article from Politico. Here's the key part:

According to correspondence seen by POLITICO, Apple offered last summer to drop its rules on how app developers can communicate with users, but was told by the Commission to hold off, pending feedback from developers.

By late September and following a round of consultations with Apple critics like Spotify, Match Group and Epic Games, executives at the U.S.-based firm began worrying that a lack of feedback from the Commission meant it was teeing up a potential fine and noncompliance decision.

Because what you're saying is clearly false. The EU doesn't constantly change the rules, nor does it act „in bad faith“.

Wake up, already.
You're not defending your poor sick brother from an evil dictator, you're defending a profit-driven company from having to comply with "laws“.

You call telling Apple "don't implement that yet" and then fining Apple for, in part, for not implementing what they told Apple to not implement "operating in good faith"? What part of "declare iPadOS is a gatekeeper despite the fact that iPadOS doesn't meet the quantitative metrics written into the law to be a gatekeeper" is not "changing the rules"?

I'm defending a company pushing back against wrong-headed laws that already have made, and will continue to make, everyone's products worse. Especially when those laws were written by regulators who don't understand what they're doing, have a history of screwing up regulations around tech, and have frozen innovation in their jurisdiction with their regulations.

It's not just Apple saying it either. Meta, had this to say:

“Our constructive engagement – which pre-dated the launch of any investigation – was publicly noted by the Commission. Yet as 2024 progressed, the goalposts kept shifting and that has continued into 2025. We made proposals but feedback has often not been forthcoming. If feedback was received, it was often inconsistent and untethered from the DMA text. Meanwhile, despite the significant investment that we made to comply and address the Commission’s varying feedback, it kept repeating that it would never be in a position to bless DMA compliance proposals.

 

[BaldiMac]

I know we're on a site for rumors. But wouldn't it be better to wait for official confirmation?
It is rather unlikely that Apple will be allowed to continue charging fees for access to the iPhone. That would be contrary to free competition and would allow Apple to continue earning money out of thin air.

And once again to all Apple fans:
Just imagine if Microsoft and Google charged Apple a fee every time a user installed "iCloud for Windows" or "Music for Android" on their OS. It wouldn't come from an app store, but simply on principle.
When you think about what Apple wants money for right now, maybe your hatred of competition, fair markets, and the EU will cease.

Imagine? So, like, if Microsoft charged a developer for games sold through Target, that would be weird to you? Because they already do that.

Once again... It's perfectly normal for platform owners to charge businesses for access to their platform. Some platforms are open. Some platforms are closed. Some are free. Some charge. That you prefer an open platform is just a preference.

You're not defending your poor sick brother from an evil dictator, you're defending a profit-driven company from having to comply with "laws“.

Ignoring the ad hominem nonsense, you're being misleading here. No one is arguing that the Apple doesn't have to comply with the law. Only that it's a bad law. Personally, I agree with the DMA''s goal of more competition. I just think it is a poor way to go about it.