“The DMA requires changes to this system that bring greater risks to users and developers,” it said. In official documents, Apple made clear its displeasure at being forced into the measures. Phil Schiller, the Apple executive in charge of its App Store, said: “The changes we’re announcing today comply with the Digital Markets Act’s requirements in the European Union, while helping to protect EU users from the unavoidable increased privacy and security threats this regulation brings.” But there is a catch: for the first time, developers who take advantage of the option will be charged a flat fee per installation, overturning free-to-play business models and limiting the sorts of apps that can bypass the store.Īpple said it was bringing in the changes, which will work for any iPhone owner who downloads a March update to its iOS operating system, in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which aims to introduce competition for so-called big tech “gatekeepers”, such as Apple.
