Epic Games, Spotify, Proton, 37 signals Other developers have already criticized Apple's choice to adapt its rules to meet the requirements of the EU's new Digital Markets Act (DMA), calling it, among other things, “extortion” and “malicious behavior”. “Yes,” he said, expressing displeasure as he said there was no such thing as compliance. thing. These companies have now formally voiced their grievances in a letter to the European Commission, jointly claiming that Apple is making a mockery of the new law and urging the European Commission to “quickly and It calls for “timely and decisive action.” Protect your developers.
Apple's new DMA rules have been widely criticized by developers and technology companies including Meta, Mozilla, and Microsoft. Instead of introducing a new, more level playing field for developers to easily compete with Apple's App Store, Apple has found a way to legally comply with the regulatory details, but without following its intent. did not. Most notably, we introduced core technology fees for developers who adopt DMA rules. Under this rule, apps distributed outside the App Store must pay Apple 0.50 euros for each first annual install, even if they exceed the 1 million threshold. This was bad news for would-be competitors who wanted to start their own app stores or distribute apps outside Apple's walls to avoid paying fees.
In a new letter, 34 companies and associations from various sectors call on the EC to take action.
“Apple's new conditions not only ignore both the spirit and the letter of the law, but if left unchanged, they will undermine the enormous efforts by the DMA, the European Commission and EU institutions to make the digital market more competitive. It will be ridiculed,” it says.
The letter goes on to point out how both companies believe Apple is not DMA compliant, and that Apple's system of requiring developers to choose whether to opt-in to DMA terms is neither compliant. They point out that this increases unnecessary complexity and confusion. Say. Additionally, the companies said it is clear that few companies will agree to the DMA terms due to the new pricing structure and core technology fees. The terms have drawn vocal criticism, but at least one of his developer companies, MacPaw, recently accessed them to distribute its software, his subscription Setapp, within the EU. announced.
The companies also said that Apple's “Scary Screen,” designed to warn customers of the risks associated with transactions outside of Apple's App Store, “is misleading, degrades the user experience, and undermines the real choice and benefits of DMA.” “It takes away people's lives,” he complained.
Finally, the letter argues that for DMA to be effective, it must allow for alternative app stores and sideloading. The companies claim that Apple is making it difficult to do the former, and the latter is not even allowed under Apple's DMA rules.
Meanwhile, Apple today also released a white paper outlining solutions to address the changes the DMA requires to fees and payments. Here, he emphasizes the security and trust that customers have in his Apple, as well as the emphasis on consumer privacy. In short, the company's position is that “users should not be exposed to physical harm through their iOS,” and that all efforts regarding DMA compliance are aimed at mitigating the potential harm that users may be exposed to. It is a means to do so.
However, there are also hints that Apple may be feeling the pressure, as it today reversed its previous decision to block progressive web apps from working properly on devices in the EU. The FT recently reported that the EC's ruling, which focuses on competition in the streaming music market, is not in Apple's favor, and will instead result in a €500 million fine being collected from the iPhone maker. In response, Apple shared details about Spotify's success on iOS, noting, among other things, that the app has been installed more than 119 billion times across Apple devices.
In response to the companies' letters, an EC spokesperson told TechCrunch that there is a reason for the six-month deadline for Big Tech gatekeepers like Apple.
“When compliance solutions are fully revealed next week, they need to be properly analyzed by both the commission and stakeholders in their completeness, and not just based on a few announcements.” said the committee, adding that it was considering it “very carefully.” How companies are complying.
He added that if the EC gained full enforcement powers, it would “act without hesitation”.