After announcing changes to App Tracking Transparency in Europe, Apple has now unveiled a simplified App Store commission structure for developers in the region. Here are the details.
Apple revamps EU business terms for app developers
Apple recently announced eight changes to the App Tracking Transparency feature in Europe, following an investigation by a German antitrust regulator.
Now, the company has announced a new commission structure for the region that will take effect on October 1, including cutting its link-out commission to 15% and replacing the controversial Core Technology Fee with a 5% Core Technology Commission.
The move comes a little more than a year after Apple announced sweeping changes to the App Store in the EU, introducing an elaborate set of rules you can read more about here.
Here’s Apple:
Apple is also announcing new terms for App Store commission rates, alternative app payments, and apps distributed through alternative marketplaces or the web.
The new terms are:
Under the new terms, developers will also be able to offer Apple In-App Purchase alongside alternative payment options, either in-app or through links to the web, provided they follow Apple’s “presentation requirements” and maintain their chosen payment options for 12 months.
Today’s announcement also includes new child safety protections and measures for alternative payments in the EU, including:
Apple adds that in EU member states where parental consent for digital actions is required for children older than 13, “these protections will scale accordingly.”
Finally, Apple’s newly announced changes also expand eligibility to operate alternative app marketplaces or distribute apps via the web.
The expanded qualification terms include:
Apple notes that web distribution, which is currently only available in the EU, lacks the ongoing oversight provided by a marketplace operator, potentially allowing bad actors to “operate for a long time, harming users, before anyone catches it.”
As a result, Apple says it will continue to require all apps distributed via alternative channels to go through its Notarization process.
To learn more about today’s announcements, follow this link.
Update: In a statement to Bloomberg, a European Commission spokesperson said the Commission welcomes Apple’s changes, noting that they follow a “close dialogue” with the company. They added that the Commission will monitor Apple’s implementation of the new terms.
What do you think of Apple’s new rules for the EU? Let us know in the comments.
