May 27, 2025, 11:31 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Apple must comprehensively overhaul its App Store model in the European Union. A decision by the European 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. This action 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 are now putting 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 being 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 point to their own offers. However, a one-time fee for the “first acquisition” by Apple remains permissible.
Last year, Apple had already 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 an almost unchanged recurring commission on external purchases. According to the commission, these regulations clearly violate the DMA.
Read also: What alternative app stores are available for the iPhone?
U.S. as a Pioneer in Relaxations
In the U.S., Apple has already implemented a similar relaxation by court order. In the antitrust case with Epic Games, a court required the company to allow links to external purchasing options. Major providers like Amazon and Spotify are already taking advantage of the new freedoms: Amazon is once again selling e-books in the Kindle app, and Spotify links to its own subscription offers. The game Fortnite also returned to the App Store–complete with a web-based purchasing option.
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Future of the App Store Model Under Pressure
With the lifting of the link ban, Apple loses a central lever for controlling digital sales within the App Store. Until now, the company’s mandatory in-app payment system resulted in commissions of up to 30 percent 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.