by Julie Clover
Apple today overhauled its app system with changes that allow developers to distribute their apps through alternative app stores and use alternative payment methods in iOS 17.4. Unfortunately, these changes only apply to the countries of the European Union and will not be implemented worldwide.
There are 27 countries in the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal , Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Alternate app store installation options will only be available in the countries listed above and other countries around the world. There will be no changes to how apps are installed and distributed globally.
Apple said it was limiting the changes to the EU because it is concerned about how alternative app stores and payment methods will impact user privacy. and safety. Apple says users are now at risk of malware, illegal and questionable app content, pirated software, scams and scams.
Updates to the iOS app ecosystem were mandated by the European Digital Markets Act, which Apple must comply with March 6, 2024. If Apple had not changed its app policies, it could have faced significant fines from the European Commission.
Given Apple's concerns about user privacy and security, the company is unlikely to implement similar changes globally, not being forced to do so by similar legislation in other countries. Note that these features are tied to the iOS 17.4 beta released today. Apple plans to release iOS 17.4 in March.
Tags: App Store, European Commission, European Union[ 150 comments ]
