It was clear that the measures taken by Apple to update to the new DMA rules they were not definitive. Confirmation arrives today, with the possibility of installing apps downloaded directly from the web on the iPhone or iPad, and not just from a store, be it the official Apple one or an authorized one.
Starting this spring, in fact, developers will be able to start distributing their apps directly from their websites, after having respected certain criteria and committing to maintaining certain requirements for user protection. Authorized developers will have access to APIs that will facilitate, among other things, the distribution of their apps, integration with system features, backup and restoration of user apps.
Music streaming, the European commission fines Apple 1.8 billion euros
by Bruno Ruffilli
For developers
The requirements to be eligible for app distribution via the web are quite demanding: developers must be domiciled and/or registered in the EU; have been enrolled in the Apple Developer Program for at least two years and have an app that has had more than one million annual first installs on iOS in the EU in the previous calendar year. You may only offer your own apps, not those of other developers, and you must respond quickly to communications from Apple regarding apps distributed online, particularly regarding behavior that is fraudulent, malicious, or illegal, or that Apple believes may affect the safety, security, or user privacy. And again: adopt transparent data collection policies and offer users control over how their data is collected and used; follow the applicable laws of the jurisdictions in which we operate, and directly deal with government requests and any requests to remove app listings.
From a financial point of view, the Basic Technology Fee (CTF) remains, i.e. the 50 euro cents to be paid to Apple for each first annual installation over one million in the last 12 months, even if the app is free. For the Cupertino company it is not a tax, but “reflects the value that Apple provides to developers through continuous investments in the tools, technologies and services that allow them to build and share innovative apps with users around the world”.
The first alternative App Store for iPhone arrives, but Apple insists: with the DMA, EU users are less safe
by Andrea Nepori
For everyone
For users it will be much simpler: they will need to update the device to the next release of the operating system, then to install apps from the web it will first be necessary to approve the developer in the Settings on the iPhone. During installation, you will see a screen with information that the developers have provided to Apple for review, such as the app name, developer name, app description, screenshots, and the recommended age rating for the use of the app.
Running
Since the announcement of the opening to sideloading, Apple has already changed several rules which made the adaptation to the DMA formally correct but in reality too burdensome or impractical for developers. Last week, for example, it introduced the option to terminate the one-off Addendum in certain circumstances and revert to standard commercial terms for apps in the EU: those who switch to a third-party store can then go back to the App Official store after thirty days. Financial requirements have also been revised, and to help developers create alternative app marketplaces, a new eligibility criterion has been introduced that allows developers to qualify without the need for a million-euro letter of credit . Today, a developer can operate an alternative app marketplace if their account has been active for two years and if they have an established app business in the EU with more than one million initial annual installs.
And finally, Apple just announced that third-party app stores can also feature a catalog exclusively of the marketplace developer’s own apps. Developers will also have the freedom to design promotions, discounts and other offers into apps when directing users to complete a transaction on their website.
Rules
From Apple to Google, from WhatsApp to Chrome: what changes with the Digital Markets Act
by Andrea Daniele Signorelli
#DMA #opening #Apple #apps #downloaded #web #installed #iPhone
– 2024-03-16 03:04:10
