May 27, 2025, 11:31 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Apple must comprehensively overhaul its App Store model in the European Union (EU). A decision by the EU Commission forces the company to relax key rules to benefit app providers.
The EU Commission has officially required Apple to cease several App Store practices. The measure is based on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which the authority believes Apple has disregarded for over a year. Similar requirements already exist in the U.S., where a court forced Apple to be more open to third-party providers. The new rules for the App Store now put pressure on Apple.
App Store Rules Must Be Relaxed
Specifically, Apple can no longer prohibit app developers from linking to their own websites or external payment systems within their applications. The previously required high commissions on purchases outside the app are also eliminated in their current form. According to the EU, so-called gatekeeper platforms, which include the App Store, must allow providers to communicate with users free of charge and highlight their own offers. A one-time fee for the “first acquisition” by Apple remains permitted.
Last year, Apple introduced initial changes, but under restrictive conditions: Developers had to accept new terms of service, could only set limited links, and had to display a deterrent notice before leaving the App Store. Additionally, Apple retained a recurring commission on external purchases almost unchanged. According to the Commission, these regulations clearly violate the DMA.
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U.S. Leads in Relaxations
In the U.S., Apple has already implemented a similar relaxation following a court order. In the antitrust case with Epic Games, a court required the company to allow links to external purchase options. Major providers like Amazon and Spotify are already taking advantage of the new freedoms: Amazon is selling e-books again in the Kindle app, and Spotify links to its own subscription offers. The game Fortnite also returned to the App Store–complete with a purchase option via the web.
Future of the App Store Model Under Pressure
With the lifting of the link ban, Apple loses a central lever to control digital sales within the App Store. Previously, the company’s mandatory in-app payment system resulted in up to 30 percent commission on sales. Apple fears significant revenue losses and has initiated legal action against the decisions in both markets. The company also plans to challenge the EU order.