Submitted 2 months ago by mark@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://9to5mac.com/2024/03/12/iphone-app-store-changes-web-distribution-more/
HUGE win for EU and for Developers with apps in Apple’s App store! 🚀
To use this feature, developers will have to opt into the new App Store business terms, which means they will pay the Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for each first annual install over one million in the past 12 months.
Wait… So if you develop an open source app and don’t charge for it, and 10 million new users install it, you have to pay apple $500,000? Wtf?
Non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and governments are exempt from the fee. The full policy is here: developer.apple.com/support/core-technology-fee/
If you don’t plan to charge for it, you can also just publish through the existing App Store infrastructure, where there is no fee.
(I’m not being an apologist. There are so, so many shitty things about Apple’s implementation here, but this isn’t one. I believe the EU should blast Apple as hard as legally possible for the rest of their implementation which is intentionally terrible.)
Euros* which are worth more than dollars. That said, such a dev probably wouldn't meet the other requirements to distribute anyway, so they'll probably use the existing unofficial sideloading.
Don’t look at the original article’s comments. So much walled garden shills in there.
There are a handful of different eligibility requirements that developers must meet to be able to distribute apps via their website:
- Be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program as an organization incorporated, domiciled, and or registered in the EU (or have a subsidiary legal entity incorporated, domiciled, and or registered in the EU that’s listed in App Store Connect). The location associated with your legal entity is listed in your Apple Developer account.
- Be a member of good standing in the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more, and have an app that had more than one million first annual installs on iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year.
- Agree to, among other things,
- Only offer apps from your developer account.
- Be responsive to communications from Apple regarding your apps distributed through Web Distribution, particularly regarding any fraudulent, malicious, or illegal behavior, or anything else that Apple believes impacts the safety, security, or privacy of users.
- Publish transparent data collection policies and offer users control over how their data is collected and used.
- Follow applicable laws of the jurisdictions where you operate (for example, the Digital Services Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, and consumer protection laws).
- Be responsible for handling governmental and other requests to take down listings of apps.
The “good standing” rule is the most problematic one - but I don’t see it lasting.
Keep in mind just last week Apple described Epic Games as “verifiably untrustworthy”… only to immediately backflip and decide to trust Epic. I can see the same thing happening here.
Two continuous years and a million existing customers is way too high a bar. It’s literally impossible for any new developer to meet that criteria.
So not really a win at all, since they would still be in control of what you’re able to download.
I just hope a developer has a sketchy domain like notavirus.zip
I know it won’t happen but sometimes I amuse myself by imagining America having its own Euromaiden revolution just so corporations will stop making their products worse so they’ll be more profitable
Fucking finally!
I mean, I’m still going to get almost everything from the App Store, but it’s nice to have the option for the few niche things.
Don’t laugh too early… It is as flawed as App-Marketplaces
Babe wake up new attack vector opens as mandated by law
Okay Tim Cook
I think his name's Tim Apple.
Ah yes, having the freedom to do as you wish is an “attack vector”.
The app store itself is no stranger to rogue apps.
Read the requirements
That would require they do something other than partially read the headline
Don’t give them internet if they can’t use internet.
WolfLink@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
It’s not a win. Apple is still requiring apps to undergo app review and even more exorbitant fees than distributing through the App Store. Apple is doing their best to comply to the letter but not the spirit of the EU ruling.
troyunrau@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Malicious Corporate Compliance
GreatDong3000@lemm.ee 2 months ago
The only type of corporate compliance
mark@programming.dev 2 months ago
It will be fixed. Baby steps. The EU is working hard and it’s going to be a while before we get everything we want.
kautau@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Sure but hundreds of millions of dollars will go into compliance enforcement and litigation against Apple, which is taxpayer money. Apple should be fined Apple money right now for their bad-faith efforts to meet the requirements. They’ve already run the numbers, and they know making third party apps jump through all sorts of hoops, pay exorbitant fees, and fight the system tooth and nail is still cheaper than just complying in good faith.
Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 2 months ago
App downloads through websites don't need to go through app review. The developers have some requirements that restrict it to profit-making developers though, see my other comment.
WolfLink@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
It’s a less stringent review process than the App Store, but apps distributed outside of it will have to be “notarized”: macrumors.com/…/alternative-app-store-notarizatio….
abhibeckert@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I disagree - it’s definitely a win.
There’s still more work to be done (you shouldn’t need to first deploy an app with a million downloads on Apple’s own App Store in order to deploy outside of it for example…) but I expect the EU will force them to change that rule.