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Apple on Thursday declared a series of updates to its developer policies to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The news, which many anticipated, arrived just in time to meet the June 26 deadline. After this date, the iPhone maker would risk new penalties. These changes relate to how developers can interact with their customers and the App Store fees that Apple imposes.
EU regulators had earlier fined Apple €500 million for noncompliance with the DMA. They had threatened additional penalties, which pressured Apple to act. Meanwhile, Apple App Store Ruling halts developer fees for external payments.
EU Developers Gain More Payment Freedom
As part of Apple’s updated “anti-steering” policies, which govern developer-customer communication, app makers in the EU can now link users to other ways to pay. These include options for subscriptions or other in-app purchases outside the App Store across any platform. This means they can now share such links on websites, within other apps, through alternate marketplaces, and more.
Apple also clarified that these links may be accessed from within or outside the app. The App store fees update can also appear in web views or native environments. Developers no longer need to use Apple’s previously mandated warnings or specific text.
App Store Fees and New Commission Rules
In addition to these adjustments, Apple did not remove its Core Technology Fee (CTF). Instead, it introduced a more layered App Store fee structure.
These App Store fees include an acquisition fee of 2% and a services fee, which is either 13% or 5% depending on the developer’s tier. (Participants in the Small Business Program pay 10%.) Tier 1 developers receive fewer services, such as manual updates, app reviews, and fraud protection tools. Tier 2 developers gain access to more robust support. This includes marketing utilities, automatic updates, curation, personalization tools, and in-depth analytics.
Furthermore, apps that link to external payment options using the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement (EU). Addendum must now pay the Core Technology Commission (CTC) when making App Store fees. This commission will likely position to replace the existing CTF in the long term.
Previously, developers paid €0.50 for each CTF after reaching 1 million downloads. That system will still apply to developers who continue to use the older EU terms.
For those on the updated EU rules, a 5% CTC will apply. Developers who currently pay the older fees will be moved to the new system by January 1, 2026.
According to Apple, the CTC represents the ongoing value it provides developers. This includes continuous investments in tools, technology, and support systems that enable developers to create and distribute innovative apps.
Epic CEO Slams Apple’s DMA Compliance
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose firm sued Apple and gained the right to offer alternative payment systems, apart from the, App Store fees, in the U.S., responded strongly. On X, he criticized Apple’s changes, calling them another example of “malicious compliance.”
He wrote, “Apple’s new Digital Markets Act malicious compliance scheme is blatantly unlawful in both Europe and the United States. It undermines fair competition in digital markets. Apps with competing payments are not only taxed but commercially affected in the App Store.”
