Spotify, Epic Games, and Others Argue Apple's App Store Changes Do Not Comply With DMA

[MacRumors]

Spotify, Epic Games, Deezer, Paddle, and several other developers and EU associations today sent a joint letter to the European Commission to complain about Apple's "proposed scheme for compliance" with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The 34 companies and associations do not believe Apple's plans "meet the law's requirements." Apple's changes "disregard both the spirit and letter of the law" and if left unchanged, will "make a mockery of the DMA," according to the letter. Several specific components of Apple's plan are highlighted, including the Core Technology Fee, the Notarization process, and the terms that developers must accept.

• Apple's requirement to stay with the current App Store terms or opt in to new terms provides developers with "an unworkable choice" that adds complexity and confusion. The letter suggests that neither option is DMA compliant and would "consolidate Apple's stronghold over digital markets."
• The Core Technology Fee and transaction fees will hamper competition and will prevent developers from agreeing to the "unjust terms."
• Apple is using "unfounded privacy and security concerns" to limit user choice. The "scare screens" that Apple plans to show users will "mislead and degrade the user experience."
• Apple is not allowing sideloading, and it is making the installation and use of new app stores "difficult, risky and financially unattractive for developers."

The companies and associations are urging the European Union to take "swift, timely and decisive action against Apple." The way the European Commission responds to Apple's proposal "will serve as a litmus test of the DMA and whether it can deliver for Europe's citizens and economy."

Apple is required to comply with the Digital Markets Act by March 7, and the app ecosystem changes baked are baked in to iOS 17.4. We are expecting to see iOS 17.4 released early next week, and that is when alternative app marketplaces, alternative payment methods, and the new terms that Apple has designed for developers will go into effect.

In support of the changes that it is implementing, Apple today published a whitepaper outlining the risks that it is attempting to mitigate with the Notarization process and other requirements alternative app marketplaces and the apps installed through those marketplaces must submit to.

Article Link: Spotify, Epic Games, and Others Argue Apple's App Store Changes Do Not Comply With DMA

 

[till]

Paying a yearly per-user fee just to run an app marketplace is straight up insane, it's blatantly anti-competitive and there's no chance it will survive regulatory scrutiny.

The other provisions are a little more fuzzy, and I wouldn't be shocked if they mostly survive intact.

 

[techfreak23]

Have these companies even published their take of the apps they will be hosting? I know they’re not doing that for free…

 

[turbineseaplane]

2024 Apple gives me major "late 90's Microsoft" vibes

...but worse

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Good. What Apple is trying to do is unacceptable.

 

[MrTemple]

"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT. 🤷‍♂️

iOS dev here who literally could never make a penny without standing on the shoulders of thousands of Apple iOS devs, who’ve put in uncountable years of effort into areas I basically have zero experience or expertise in. 👋

Most people claiming Apple's cut is unearned don’t know what “import Foundation” does at the top of literally every iOS code file in literally every AppStore app. (Hint: It's not necessary to get an app into the App Store!)

Ditto for:

import UIKit
import SwiftUI
import CryptoKit
Button()
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: session)
etc, etc, etc…

Literally 💯 of iOS apps use code written by Apple to do a staggering amount of their work.

ZERO apps roll their own custom code instead of using the mountain of frameworks and APIs that Apple has built and perfected (complete with expected features like free dark mode, rotation, language, compat across device, accessibility size, backgrounding, persistence, etc, etc, etc features).

ZERO apps do this because it would cost 10-20x as much to develop, and nobody would pay for the lesser experience.

Even the simplest app would take literal years more development, and STILL not achieve anything close to feature parity by dropping in Apple’s code with zero effort.

Oh, and when iOS updates with new features, or a new style? INSTANTLY that app needs massive work to retain feature parity with other apps that did zero work to match style or make use of many new features. (Sometimes a TEENY bit of work to make a huge new feature work if you want.)

Show me an app developer who doesn’t lean HEAVILY on Apple’s developers’ work, and I’ll show you somebody who gets to talk about the “outrageous” price Apple charges for their work. 🙄

 

[MacAddict1978]

Surprised it took this long. Apple's "plan" was a blatant non-compliant middle finger. Instead of opening IOS to outside markets, they found ways to charge fees anyway. Agree or disagree with the EU's ruling, Apple did show some courage with the balls they have in their "compliance."

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Paying a yearly per-user fee just to run an app marketplace is straight up insane, it's blatantly anti-competitive and there's no chance it will survive regulatory scrutiny.

The other provisions are a little more fuzzy, and I wouldn't be shocked if they mostly survive intact.

I'd be surprised if the 50¢/year per install fee remains. The way it's worded now, if a developer releases a free calculator and never once updates it, they could still end up owing Apple millions of dollars a year for that "technology fee".

 

[TheLisnakFactor]

This makes me love and trust Apple more and more. It’s their iPhone. People buy their iPhone knowing what they get. They could always not an iPhone. Tough **** to these developers. I hope they lose and the EU stays out of it.

 

[paulovsouza]

Does anyone else find this funny. I do think Apple needs to lighten up its grip a little, and open up its walled garden for the sake of its customers. But these million dollar companies thinking they had one on Apple, crying how they can’t make money in Apple closed ecosystem that made them what they are today. I always knew Apple was going to do everything in its power to make this process as complicated as possible.

 

[erikkfi]

If Apple executives knew how app distribution on Macs worked, they’d be furious.

 

[TheLisnakFactor]

"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT. 🤷‍♂️

iOS dev here who literally could never make a penny without standing on the shoulders of thousands of Apple iOS devs, who’ve put in uncountable years of effort into areas I basically have zero experience or expertise in. 👋

Most people claiming Apple's cut is unearned don’t know what “import Foundation” does at the top of literally every iOS code file in literally every AppStore app.

Let alone:

import UIKit
import SwiftUI
import CryptoKit
Button()
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: session)
etc, etc, etc…

Literally 💯 of iOS apps use code written by Apple to do a staggering amount of their work.

ZERO apps roll their own custom code instead of using the mountain of frameworks and APIs that Apple has built and perfected (complete with expected features like free dark mode, rotation, language, compat across device, accessibility size, backgrounding, persistence, etc, etc, etc features).

ZERO apps do this because it would cost 10-20x as much to develop, and nobody would pay for the lesser experience.

Even the simplest app would take literal years more development, and STILL not achieve anything close to feature parity by dropping in Apple’s code with zero effort.

Oh, and when iOS updates with new features, or a new style? INSTANTLY that app needs massive work to retain feature parity with other apps that did zero work to match style or make use of many new features. (Sometimes a TEENY bit of work to make a huge new feature work if you want.)

Show me an app developer who doesn’t lean HEAVILY on Apple’s developers’ work, and I’ll show you somebody who gets to talk about the “outrageous” price Apple charges for their work. 🙄

This is amazing perspective. Absolutely perfect. Couldn’t have said it better.

People need to comprehend this.

 

[iAppleOrchard]

I too also agreed once I read the new policies (as a developer) that it is unjust.

I hope Spotify, Epic, and everyone else causes the iPhone to not get sold in the EU, will be funny to see this disaster that Apple caused start 😂

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Epic, Spotify etc CEOs are morons. Instead of spending a fortune on lawyers etc and all the business distractions that go along with this ridiculous fight concentrate on building your business for the better. Egomaniacs who can’t just cut their losses and move on are destined for their battles to take a terrible toll not only on their company but also on their health as well.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT.

...

Bla bla bla

Fine. Let me write an app without import Foundation in it, self-sign it, and let anyone install it without any scare screens or hoops to jump through. There are plenty of UI frameworks out there, and Apple isn't unique in any way except their unending greed.

 

[MacAddict1978]

"Core Technology" There it is. Put up or shut up. Either STOP USING Apple's developers' work, or PAY FOR IT.

iOS dev here who literally could never make a penny without standing on the shoulders of thousands of Apple iOS devs, who’ve put in uncountable years of effort into areas I basically have zero experience or expertise in. 👋

Tell me you don’t know what “import Foundation” does at the top of literally every iOS code file in Facebook, without telling me…

Let alone:

import UIKit
import SwiftUI
import CryptoKit
Button()
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: session)
etc, etc, etc…

Literally 💯 of iOS apps use code written by Apple to do a staggering amount of their work.

ZERO apps roll their own custom code instead of using the mountain of frameworks and APIs that Apple has built and perfected (complete with expected features like free dark mode, rotation, language, compat across device, accessibility size, backgrounding, persistence, etc, etc, etc features).

ZERO apps do this because it would cost 10-20x as much to develop, and nobody would pay for the lesser experience.

Even the simplest app would take literal years more development, and STILL not achieve anything close to feature parity by dropping in Apple’s code with zero effort.

Oh, and when iOS updates with new features, or a new style? INSTANTLY that app needs massive work to retain feature parity with other apps that did zero work to match style or make use of many new features. (Sometimes a TEENY bit of work to make a huge new feature work if you want.)

Show me an app developer who doesn’t lean HEAVILY on Apple’s developers’ work, and I’ll show you somebody who gets to talk about the “outrageous” price Apple charges for their work. 🙄

So like.... Android.... MacOS, Windows.... last I checked, they all work like this.
I mean it's kind of like expected that if you want people using your platform and OS you provide tools, APIs, etc. App store greed isn't the only way to make money - and this is laughable. Apple, the company that has screwed developers for years with excessive fees under the guise of their control freak nature, er, review process, being why.

 

[spazzcat]

DMA should be mocked ...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Good. What Apple is trying to do is unacceptable.

It's essentially spitting in the face of regulators
It won't go unnoticed

Apple is acting like a bully here...just daring regulators to come down harder, and I hope they do.

 

[MacAddict1978]

Epic, Spotify etc CEOs are morons. Instead of spending a fortune on lawyers etc and all the business distractions that go along with this ridiculous fight concentrate on building your business for the better. Egomaniacs who can’t just cut their losses and move on are destined for their battles to take a terrible toll not only on their company but also on their health as well.

The margin on games/music services/video services is often 30% or less. They spent a fortune on lawyers because they break even or lose money but can't not offer their products on such a large platform.

You clearly don't understand the economics. Stores that sell physical media (games, gaming cards, subscription cards) net 10% or less in margin and have to physically stock shelves for it. The App store (Google Play included... though Google and MS greatly reduced commissions on these categories to 10%) is a mafia level exploitation. Google, even before reducing fees, allowed sideloaded apps and alternate apps stores and Android is open unlike IOS.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If Apple executives knew how app distribution on Macs worked, they’d be furious.

If Apple execs truly had their druthers, the Mac would be gone by now

 

[Realityck]

Spotify, Epic Games, Deezer, Paddle, and several other developers and EU associations today sent a joint letter to the European Commission to complain about Apple's "proposed scheme for compliance" with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

We knew they wouldn't be happy with Apple's changes to meet DMA compliance. But this is a bit too late in the process for anything but continued scrutiny. But that applies to both sides also.

 

[GtrDude]

Apple seems rotten to the core.
Then little Timmey comes on during those silly promotions and is all smiles

 

[Plutonius]

I think that Apples current changes are just to buy time while they think of something new. They are following Samsung's playbook of delay delay and then delay some more .

 

[icanhazmac]

"will serve as a litmus test of the DMA and whether it can deliver for Europe's citizens and economy."

LOL, I don't hear the citizens of the EU clamoring for the DMA. I don't hear anyone clamoring for the DMA or its like except tech geeks that want their alt-stores. Economy wise, lobbyists and bureaucrats FTW, can't beat 'em, regulate 'em!

 

[MrTemple]

Fine. Let me write an app without import Foundation in it, self-sign it, and let anyone install it without any scare screens or hoops to jump through. There are plenty of UI frameworks out there, and Apple isn't unique in any way except their unending greed.

There are no scare screens. You can get an app into the App Store without import Foundation and all the other convenience code. Without 90% of it being Apple's code (most apps on the store would need at LEAST 10x the code to get half the app experience users expect).