Developers Must Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement Starting in October

[andrewxgx]

So if I read this correctly it impacts everyone who wants to sell apps in the EU, regardless of where they live… sounds to me that number of apps available in the EU will shrink… at the same token, having contact info for a developer whom I pay is a good thing, I think

oh, thank god for that
amount of useless shady crap tier apps from questionable developers is ridiculous. any legitimate business wont have a problem with complying - their registration info is already public record.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

*sigh* life was simpler and better before EU's DMA.

yes, I would love it if an angry customer with a 6 year old phone is complaining my app no longer supports his outdated iOS version to show up at my doorstep with a knife.

1: The data won’t be open publicly. It will be for the likes of the Internal Revenue in the USA, and HMRC in the U.K. etc. It will be no different to how your banks share income data with those authorities.

2: Everyone will be using a business address, and a business phone number.

 

[chrono1081]

A good thing for more transparency! Thanks EU!

How is this good? Do you want your private information smeared everywhere just because your workplace is selling something?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I don't see a downside for this. If anything, I'm surprised developers weren't providing this info for a customer service perspective.

 

[chrono1081]

*sigh* life was simpler and better before EU's DMA.

yes, I would love it if an angry customer with a 6 year old phone is complaining my app no longer supports his outdated iOS version to show up at my doorstep with a knife.

This. Anyone thinking this is a good thing never had to deal with having their private information posted everywhere. Where I work our salaries are public and it is utter hell for those of us who rent. Every single time we get a raise our rent goes up.

We used to have our home addresses public as well but after a few people got their homes vandalized by people angry at something those people had zero control over those got redacted.

This is a stupid stupid move.

 

[iOS Geek]

1: The data won’t be open publicly. It will be for the likes of the Internal Revenue in the USA, and HMRC in the U.K. etc. It will be no different to how your banks share income data with those authorities.

2: Everyone will be using a business address, and a business phone number.

Maybe you and I aren't talking about the same thing...but the MacRumors article very clearly states that the address/contact info WILL be publicly available...

 

[Mousse]

So why isn't Apple fighting this? They fight everything else tooth and nail. All that talk of privacy only apply to those giving money to Apple not those making money off of Apple's ecosystem.

I expected more from Apple. Not even a token resistance; just caving in.😩

 

[centauratlas]

1: The data won’t be open publicly. It will be for the likes of the Internal Revenue in the USA, and HMRC in the U.K. etc. It will be no different to how your banks share income data with those authorities.

2: Everyone will be using a business address, and a business phone number.

It won't be open publicly initially, only until it is hacked. For example, every US single social security number with corresponding details was hacked recently (see e.g. https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/20...ericans-social-security-numbers-personal-data ).

Of course Google Voice is a good choice for a phone number and a PO box is inexpensive, but still for a free app or free book, I am not going to pay for a business address.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I wonder if I can get away with just giving them the address and phone number of my local In-N-Out? It's not like they can do anything about it... if the EU tries to extradite me, the only thing they'll extradite are some In-N-Out Double-Doubles! 🍔

(having eaten burgers in Europe, I can say they really need it... goodness knows the people of the European Union are truly deprived when it comes to good burgers 😢)

 

[nicolas_s]

How is this good? Do you want your private information smeared everywhere just because your workplace is selling something?

It's good from the point of view of the consumer. These laws are made to benefit the consumer. It's not good for businesses, sure, but the DSA was made to benefit the consumer.

 

[JackNL]

My wife is a small business owner (self-employed attorney with one employee), and her PO Box is $8 month. That is her legal business address.

Can't afford that, really?

In addition, at least in the US, you should be selling your apps under an LLC, otherwise your personal financial wellbeing and possessions would be in play if you were sued by a customer.

It does not work that way here in NL and many EU countries. A postal box can't be a business address.

For small companies and people who work from home their home address is their business address. And a co-work like Wework is not allowed either- only when you have a fixed desk in an office, starting from ± €300 per month.

 

[chrono1081]

It's good from the point of view of the consumer. These laws are made to benefit the consumer. It's not good for businesses, sure, but the DSA was made to benefit the consumer.

There's no benefit to the consumer here though outside of being able to stalk.

 

[iOS Geek]

So why isn't Apple fighting this? They fight everything else tooth and nail. All that talk of privacy only apply to those giving money to Apple not those making money off of Apple's ecosystem.

I expected more from Apple. Not even a token resistance; just caving in.😩

Strange. I thought people here WANTED Apple to cave in and comply to whatever the EU dictates, no matter what. 🤔

Apple fights back...people complain about it.
Apple complies...people complain about it.
Proof that you can't satisfy everyone!

 

[chrono1081]

oh, thank god for that
amount of useless shady crap tier apps from questionable developers is ridiculous. any legitimate business wont have a problem with complying - their registration info is already public record.

Nonsensical take. I'm not shady at all, I collect zero data on anyone, don't sell anyones ad information, yet I don't want the public having my phone number and address. Privacy should be a basic human right especially in today's day and age.

 

[nicolas_s]

So if I read this correctly it impacts everyone who wants to sell apps in the EU, regardless of where they live… sounds to me that number of apps available in the EU will shrink… at the same token, having contact info for a developer whom I pay is a good thing, I think

Good thing, only quality apps that come from real businesses will remain in the EU App Store then.

 

[chrono1081]

For everyone who is for this, please post your home address, name, and phone number in the thread since you're so confident this is a good thing.

 

[Ctrlos]

It’s worth mentioning that this has been mandatory on Android for years across the world. And it’s business address/phone number. Get a cheap second SIM and register a co-working space if you run things from home.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

So if I read this correctly it impacts everyone who wants to sell apps in the EU, regardless of where they live… sounds to me that number of apps available in the EU will shrink… at the same token, having contact info for a developer whom I pay is a good thing, I think

Why do you Americans keep saying and thinking this?
Anytime any government outside the USA does something that is different you keep saying stuff like this.

Some of our countries in the EU have a higher tax rate than the USA, some have no tax at all. Despite it all, Apple still sells their products here, and aside from USA specific apps, pretty much all of them are available over here.

We have McDonalds, we have Starbucks, Walmart owned one of our supermarket chains, our biggest pharmacy is owned by a USA company, your sports brands are all available over here. Your banks are even opening up here now.

At no point is anyone going to pull out of big markets because they subject people to paying tax on income, our labour laws are more stringent, and anything else.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

So if I read this correctly it impacts everyone who wants to sell apps in the EU, regardless of where they live… sounds to me that number of apps available in the EU will shrink… at the same token, having contact info for a developer whom I pay is a good thing, I think

Good, the entire app store needs to shrink, a lot.. More than 50% smaller would be a start.

There is just a ton of junk, copycat, gambling and borderline scam apps. It's a hell-hole of nonsense.

 

[Mousse]

Strange. I thought people here WANTED Apple to cave in and comply to whatever the EU dictates, no matter what. 🤔

One camp does. There is an opposing faction that wants Apple to fight.

Apple fights back...people complain about it.
Apple complies...people complain about it.

Yarp. Opposing sides.

Proof that you can't satisfy everyone!

I guess I'm the 3rd faction that just wants the entertainment value of the fight. I have no dog in this fight. Apple taking a dive just rubs me the wrong way. Say it ain't so, Joe.

 

[klasma]

There is some precedent to this requirement in the EU E-Commerce Directive article 5 from 2000.

 

[Kevin2055]

Nonsensical take. I'm not shady at all, I collect zero data on anyone, don't sell anyones ad information, yet I don't want the public having my phone number and address. Privacy should be a basic human right especially in today's day and age.

There is no such privacy for business organization.

 

[0815]

I am a small developer without dedicated business phone - not making enough money to justify one or share my personal one ( I’m already getting enough spam calls as is). Could probably generate a free google phone number, but again not worth the time for the small EU income - I will just let Apple remove my apps in the EU.
AppStore in the EU is dead for me.

 

[breenmask]

1: The data won’t be open publicly. It will be for the likes of the Internal Revenue in the USA, and HMRC in the U.K. etc. It will be no different to how your banks share income data with those authorities.

2: Everyone will be using a business address, and a business phone number.

1. "The information will be displayed on a developer's App Store page."
2. Plenty of indie developers don't have a business address, or more accurately, home address is the business address.

 

[chrono1081]

There is no such privacy for business organization.

Not every developer is a business organization. There are tons of indies.