Tech giant Apple announced on Thursday that it will now permit developers to interact with their customers beyond its App Store ecosystem.
This move comes in response to the European Commission’s charges against Apple in June for violating the EU’s tech regulations.
Previously, Apple’s terms allowed developers to guide users to external websites through “link-outs,” enabling them to finalize contracts outside the app environment. Now, Apple is broadening its approach by allowing developers to directly communicate and promote offers to users, regardless of whether those offers are hosted on the developers’ websites or other platforms.
With this policy update, Apple is also introducing two new fees. Developers will face a 5% acquisition fee for new users and a 10% store services fee for sales made through any platform within 12 months of the app installation. These new fees will replace the existing reduced commission that applied to digital goods and services sold via the App Store.
Currently, Apple imposes three different types of fees: a core technology fee for a small fraction of apps, a reduced commission for digital goods and services sold through its platform, and an optional fee for payment and commerce services. The latest changes are set to streamline this structure and offer developers more flexibility in how they engage with their customers within the EU.
