Apple’s EU DMA‑Driven Changes to iOS, App Store, and Alternative App Distribution

In response to the European Union Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple released a press statement outlining extensive modifications to iOS, its browser, the App Store, alternative payment mechanisms, and developer fee structures that will be implemented in the iOS 17.4 update for EU and select EEA countries.

The changes involve more than 600 new APIs, expanded app analytics, alternative browser engines, and new options for distributing apps through alternative app stores. Apple also plans to provide APIs that let banks and financial institutions use NFC‑based third‑party payment apps across the European Economic Area.

Each change is accompanied by additional security safeguards intended to mitigate, though not eliminate, the new risks introduced by the DMA. These safeguards include baseline notarization for all apps regardless of distribution channel, detailed app information manifests, stricter authorization for alternative app store developers, and automatic blocking of apps found to contain malware after installation.

Developers will be able to submit interoperability requests for iPhone and iOS hardware and software features, and Apple will expose a new framework for alternative browsers, allowing users to set a non‑Safari browser as the default via a new selection screen that appears when Safari is first opened.

App Store updates introduce new payment service provider options, link‑based payment flows that let developers direct users to their own websites for transactions, a business planning tool for estimating fees, new product‑page labels indicating alternative payment usage, and revised in‑app disclosure forms. The review process will verify that developers accurately communicate alternative payment information, and Apple’s data‑privacy site will offer expanded data portability for EU users.

Under the new commercial terms, Apple will reduce the standard commission on digital goods and services to 10% (or 17% for larger developers) and charge a 3% processing fee for using Apple’s payment system. If developers use alternative payment methods, they still owe the commission but avoid the processing fee; however, a “core technology fee” of €0.50 per install applies after the first million installations, which can significantly increase costs.

Apple notes that while these measures lower certain security risks, they do not fully address fraud, abusive apps, or exposure to illegal or harmful content, and using non‑WebKit browsers may negatively affect performance and battery life.