Epic Games dismisses Apple's simplified EU App Store fees as 'junk'
Consumer group sees improvements on paper but warns the devil remains in the detail
Apple's latest proposal to settle its App Store dispute with the European Commission has faced criticism from Epic Games and a consumer group, who warned that the devil is in the detail. The changes, announced on August 18, introduce new business terms for applications distributed in the European Union, aiming to simplify the process by offering a single set of terms for all developers.
Apple's App Store apps using In-App Purchase will face a 26% commission, reduced to 15% for qualifying developers and to 10% after the first year. Alternative payment processing will incur a 20% commission, or 10% for qualifying developers. Apps linking to the web for purchases will attract a 15% commission, or 10% for qualifying developers.
Developers can adopt the new terms immediately, with the changes taking effect on October 1. However, Epic Games dismissed the proposal as "junk fees," stating it doesn't open up the mobile app ecosystem to competition as required by the Digital Markets Act. The European Consumer Organisation also expressed cautious optimism, stating that while there seem to be some improvements, the devil is in the detail, and it remains to be seen if these commitments will benefit consumers.
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