Credit: Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
- Financial filings from Apple show it expects to be required to allow rival app stores on its platform across the EU.
- After passing the Digital Markets Act last year, the EU told Apple it would have to open its App Store to competitors.
- Apple expects this change will reduce the number of sales from the App Store and the commission they earn from those sales.
Since its inception, the App Store has prevented third-party app stores from appearing on its platform. But that may not be the case for much longer, at least in the EU. Apple expects to be required to open its doors as soon as next year.
On November 1, 2022, the EU passed the Digital Markets Act, which went into full effect on May 2, 2023. The main focus of the regulation was to force companies, like Apple, to offer alternative app stores and payment methods on their platforms. After the act’s passing, European Commissioner Thierry Breton called out Apple to open up its ecosystem. Although the tech giant tried to fight back, it appears it has quietly accepted the inevitable.