Apple could introduce fees and restrictions for downloads outside its App Store

As the new European tech rules, known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), get ready to kick in soon, Apple is getting set for a future where it has to allow its users to download apps from places other than its App Store.

The Cupertino tech giant hasn’t spilled the beans on how exactly sideloading will go down. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, it looks like developers might not get a free pass to bypass the company’s fees and app review guidelines after all.

Thanks to the new European law aimed at loosening Apple’s tight hold on apps, folks in the EU would finally be able to download software onto their iPhones or iPads without relying solely on the App Store.

Yet, insiders familiar with Apple’s moves indicate that the company intends to collect fees from developers who provide downloads outside the App Store. Additionally, the company aims to retain the authority to review every app downloaded outside its App Store. It’s worth noting that these plans from Apple haven’t been officially revealed and are subject to change.

The proposed restrictions and fees might reignite tensions with app developers, as some had anticipated the new law would enable them to distribute their apps to users without being subject to Apple’s restrictions or what they perceive as hefty commissions.

Just a while back, Spotify, which is already gearing up with new download choices in anticipation of the upcoming changes, and Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, slammed Apple’s recently revealed policies that permit third-party payment systems, aligning with a US federal court decision.

Following a prolonged legal tussle with Epic Games, the new regulations decree that developers must still fork out a substantial 27 percent commission on transactions conducted outside of the App Store (though smaller developers will face a lower 12 percent charge).

Apple’s reaction to the fresh EU regulations sets the stage for another potential battleground in the company’s global struggle to uphold control over third-party software and the substantial profits that accompany it.

Back in 2022, the European Union greenlit the DMA, intending to curb the purportedly anticompetitive tactics of tech firms. The DMA puts the brakes on gatekeepers, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and TikTok, preventing practices such as self-preferencing, data exclusivity, and unfair trading.