- Apple: More freedom for app makers to link to offers
Apple is giving app developers in Europe more flexibility to direct users to cheaper offers via links, following intervention by the EU Commission. Simultaneously, there's a new fee structure for this.
The EU Commission criticized Apple in June for severely restricting developers' communication with users regarding external links, such as not allowing them to publish price information within apps. The commission initially assessed this as violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to rein in the market power of large platform operators.
Apple has been in dispute with some app providers like music service Spotify for a long time over linking to external offers. The background is that Apple charges 15 or 30 percent for purchases made within apps, and some developers want to direct users to offers outside the platform.
Most restrictions will be lifted
With the release of the next operating systems for Apple devices this fall, most restrictions will be lifted. App developers can now promote offers directly within the apps and direct users with web links to both websites and other app platforms.
However, there's a restriction that links cannot be used for creating user profiles or advertising. Apple will also continue to inform users when they leave the App Store area.
New fee structure
For businesses that complete transactions via such links to external offers, Apple is introducing a new fee structure. This includes a five percent fee on payments from new users in the first 12 months. Apple sees this as a kind of commission for bringing a user and a developer together via the App Store, so it only applies when a user downloads an app for the first time.
There's also a basic fee for purchases made via a link to external offers for 12 months, which can range from 5 to 20 percent. From Apple's perspective, these fees reflect the value of the App Store as a platform for developers.
Other app developers, apart from those directly mentioned, can also benefit from Apple's new flexibility in directing users to cheaper offers via links. Despite the new fee structure, developers have an opportunity to promote their offers within the apps and through web links, potentially reaching a wider audience.
