Apple’s New EU App Store Terms Face Backlash From Developer Groups

A coalition of 18 organizations, including the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) and the Coalition for App Fairness, has expressed profound disappointment regarding Apple’s revised EU App Store business terms. In a joint open letter responding to the terms announced on August 18, the developer groups argued that Apple's new rules still fail to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Central to the coalition's complaints is a 15% fee imposed by Apple on steering users to alternative payment methods outside the App Store. The letter notes that Article 5(4) of the DMA explicitly requires gatekeepers to permit developers to promote offers and conclude contracts free of charge. Furthermore, the groups criticized Apple's implementation of a 5% Core Technology Commission charged on transactions within apps distributed outside the App Store, replacing the previous Core Technology Fee. EGDF Managing Director Jari-Pekka Kaleva pointed out that competing platforms such as Windows and Linux do not charge platform or distribution fees for self-distribution.

The open letter also raises objections regarding mandatory developer registration, app review procedures, and contractual requirements for third-party channels, which the coalition claims allow Apple to maintain significant gatekeeping control. Additionally, the EGDF highlighted the need to closely monitor how Apple implements new parental gate requirements, warning that Apple must not block access to device-level parental control tools for games distributed outside its ecosystem.

While Apple asserted that its changes followed close collaboration with the European Commission and resolved ongoing disagreements, the developer coalition criticized the Commission's apparent informal endorsement of the terms without consulting affected businesses or users. The groups have called on the European Commission to consult with stakeholders, clarify the current status of its DMA proceedings, and bring relevant cases to a formal, reasoned conclusion.