In a move to support alternative app stores in the European Union, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is introducing changes to its App Store Connect and TestFlight.
What Happened: Apple announced a series of changes to the App Store in the EU as part of iOS 17.4, including support for third-party app marketplaces. Ahead of the public release of iOS 17.4 in March, Apple is now rolling out new features in App Store Connect for beta testing.
According to a post on the Apple Developer website, developers who have agreed to the new App Store business terms in the EU can now begin setting up and testing their app marketplaces and marketplace distribution.
Apple also says developers can use new features in App Store Connect and the App Store Connect API to set up marketplace distribution and apps and beta test these features using TestFlight.
Furthermore, TestFlight now supports apps using alternative browser engines, and alternative payments through payment service providers and linking out to a webpage.
Why It Matters: The changes come in response to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to foster competition in the tech sector by requiring Big Tech companies to open their platforms.
However, senior Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook, and Phil Schiller, have voiced concerns that this will lead to security compromises.
Earlier, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticized Apple's Alternative App Store proposal, stating that Meta won't opt for it.
Developers who want to use third-party app stores or payment providers in the EU will have to pay a "Core Technology Fee," which could potentially cost Meta and other developers "millions" of dollars in yearly payments, as per Apple's proposed "Alternative App Store" model.