Developers Now Required to Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement

[Gasu E.]

Indie developer's business address would be the home address.

In the USA, a small business without a distinct business address typically just provides a post office box (or private mail box) address. The idea is for customers to be able to contact you by mail, not hunt you down. I assume something similar is available in the EU.

 

[Tagbert]

….

 

[Gasu E.]

Making developers publish their business address is not a fair tradeoff, especially small businesses that work from home. They do not sell a physical product. Most companies provide an email, web page, and phone number. What business address do you provide when your business is your home? It's not like a developer is a store front that people come in and pick up their product. Would you feel comfortable giving your business address if it was your home address? Like I said, this is a win for stalkers, trolls, and criminals.

In the USA, a developer could provide a PO Box. The address is for correspondence, not so angry customers can hunt you down.

 

[mossburgercombo]

im surprsied so many people are against this law. seems a no brainer to protect consumers from shady app sellers who might be selling apps with tracking or malware. if any such issues happen consumers and law enforcement should have easy way to find out who and where those sellers are to find them to prevent abuses. if i know im a legit seller i wouldn't even worry or be bothered by this law. if the seller is using a home address then get a PO box or something and business phone its easy to get and cheap.

 

[Starfia]

Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store.

If I understand correctly, this article is incorrect on a major point. Developers are not required to share that information – they're required to specify whether they are a "trader" under EU law, and share such information if they declare they are.

Apple provides links like "learn about whether you're a trader in the EU," sort of referring developers to the laws in question. It's at that point where the question of messy or fit-to-purpose regulation enters the picture, as those guidelines seem not even to have been conceived with app developers in mind, let alone a developer who authorizes a company like Apple to act as its agent for marketing and selling their apps.

Developers are then left with the choice of guessing whether their role in that system qualifies them as "traders." If the EU law were clear or settled, it seems like that question shouldn't need to exist.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Making developers publish their business address is not a fair tradeoff, especially small businesses that work from home. They do not sell a physical product. Most companies provide an email, web page, and phone number. What business address do you provide when your business is your home? It's not like a developer is a store front that people come in and pick up their product. Would you feel comfortable giving your business address if it was your home address? Like I said, this is a win for stalkers, trolls, and criminals.

Your business address should be a virtual address, like a PO Box. Not your home. Selling virtual-only goods doesn't make your business special or exempt for normal business regulation, nor should it. I just hired a painter for my house, he doesn't have a storefront either, but he has a business address.

I, for some reason, need to send legal certified mail to your business with a postmark. How would I do that?

 

[Gasu E.]

This will be a burden for small developers though. Now they have to get a 2nd phone number.

If your "small business" doesn't generate the $75/month for a second phone line and a PO Box, maybe it's not actually a "business."

 

[Gasu E.]

It's personal information if you're a small developer working out of your home. For example, when I retire I plan on developing apps. I don't care if I make a lot of money, but I do want to make *some* money. Under these rules I'll need to publish my home address and phone number for the whole world to see. That just discourages me from selling my apps in the EU.

PO Box and second phone line, or answering service. Costs very little.

 

[bondr006]

In the USA, a developer could provide a PO Box. The address is for correspondence, not so angry customers can hunt you down.

I thought that's what an email address or contact form on the business' website was for. Plus a business phone number is provided also. How many types of contact info does a customer need for a developer who has no store front and no physical product? Seems like the three forms of contact info I listed would fill the requirement for a customer being able to contact the developer. Now, I could see if the physical address was needed for Apple's or the EU's records.

 

[bondr006]

Your business address should be a virtual address, like a PO Box. Not your home. Selling virtual-only goods doesn't make your business special or exempt for normal business regulation, nor should it. I just hired a painter for my house, he doesn't have a storefront either, but he has a business address.

I, for some reason, need to send legal certified mail to your business with a postmark. How would I do that?

Well, with the 3 forms of contact info I mentioned, I guess the mailing address could be provided on an individual basis. If someone needs to mail you something, they can contact you for your mailing address.

 

[slythfox]

I am a dev, I think this is actually malicious on the part of Apple for wanting to wage a war on regulation. My cursory reading into DSA in May was that it is Apple’s decision to include phone and address as “redress”. (Not a lawyer.) At the very least, Apple's own language is very ambiguous and they need to be providing better guidance to developers on how to answer the trader question instead of leaving us in the dust.

 

[Phaseangle]

As I'm posted earlier, my wife is a sole proprietor (actually has an LLC), but works under both as an Attorney out of our home office. She uses a PO Box as her legal address.

She does criminal cases and obviously doesn't want our home address available, and it's not.

It says physical address PO Box will not cut it

 

[WarmWinterHat]

It says physical address PO Box will not cut it

A PO Box is (can be) the physical address for an LLC, or the LLC registrar, or an attorney representing said LLC.

 

[cybercommand]

Just submit a fake business address and secondary number.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Indie developer's business address would be the home address.

An Indie-as-a-job Developer can rent a PO box. An indie-as-a-hobby Developer is not considered a trader and doesn't need to provide this info.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Developers are then left with the choice of guessing whether their role in that system qualifies them as "traders." If the EU law were clear or settled, it seems like that question shouldn't need to exist.

It feels pretty clear and settled to me. I'm not a professional developer, and any app I create is just a side project for me, therefore I am not a trader. If developing becomes my day job, or a significant portion of my income, then yes I am a trader.

That's why they left the door open with self identification. Not every case is the same.

 

[astrorider]

When I last set this up the App Store required a DUNS number (Dun & Bradstreet) for your business, which does not accept a registered agent, P.O Box or many virtual mailboxes (like those at mailing stations e.g. Fedex) . It had to be a physical address, which is why so many indie developers ended up using their home address

 

[vantelimus]

.. also probably last thing I write here. This forum is just evil.

It isn’t the forum or Apple mandating this. Blame the European Commission. It is manifestly ignorant of both classical and behavioral economics.

 

[strongy]

Give them a random email and address. I doubt they verify it anyway.

the law requires it to be validated

 

[Starfia]

It feels pretty clear and settled to me…

I mean, you're showing that your answer isn't merely influenced by, but relies on your interpretation. Even Apple's super-summary entitled "how to know if you're a trader," without linking to EU law text, is a page long, purposely refrains from answering the question definitively for anyone, and is tagged with a disclaimer that you should seek legal advice if you're unsure. So there's going to be a whole category of people like you who might be considered traders but err on the side of declaring they're not, and a whole category of tentative and overly well-intended developers who suspect they're not but err on the side of declaring they are.

The law is made, so it's settled. But "clear and settled"? If this situation doesn't attest to a law that's vague and settled, then what situation does?

 

[Abazigal]

Y’know what. If they don’t want to follow the rules they should leave the App Store and not do their business in the EU.

Perhaps they just should.

 

[strongy]

Just submit a fake business address and secondary number.

it will need be validated it says so right their in the legislation

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Give them a random email and address. I doubt they verify it anyway.

Silly advice, and yes they do check via the company registration number or duns number such that everything matches.

 

[PsykX]

A sole trader is a self-employed individual who owns and runs a business as a sole proprietorship

Then why do they even ask the question ? Everyone IS a trader, period.

In Canada I am forced to have a tax number (even though Apple’s the one who collects taxes) which means I am forced to have a business.

But I do it during evenings and week-ends. My job isn’t to develop apps.

So if I am a trader because I develop apps in my spare time, I need to divulge my personal home address to the whole EU ? Seems rather intrusive, isn’t it ? 🧐

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Making developers publish their business address is not a fair tradeoff, especially small businesses that work from home. They do not sell a physical product. Most companies provide an email, web page, and phone number. What business address do you provide when your business is your home? It's not like a developer is a store front that people come in and pick up their product or bring their product in for service. And like I said, there is no physical product. Would you feel comfortable giving your business address if it was your home address? As I said, this is a win for stalkers, trolls, and criminals.

Ahem, better read up on your legal obligations. As a business, you do need to provide an address, and tax details, and so on. Someone posted a good list. And there are many more obligations through privacy and data protection regulations. Where your company's registered address is your home or not is your choice, and choices come with consequences.