In response to a recent law in the European Union called the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple made adjustments on January 25. This law targets big companies with many users, like Apple, requiring them to work well with competing apps and let users choose their preferred pre-installed apps. Now, developers can create different app stores for iPhones and avoid Apple’s payment system, which used to charge up to 30%. However, they still need approval from Apple for their apps, facing cybersecurity checks and a “core technology fee.”

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, criticized Apple’s changes, thinking they might break the DMA rules. He is worried that Apple now has the power to decide which stores can compete with its App Store. Apple provided tools for developers to adjust, and users saw these changes through an iOS update in March. To address complaints from companies like Epic and Spotify, Apple changed its App Store approach. In the United States, it now adds a 27% fee on money earned from links to other websites. But in the EU, developers can use other payment methods in their App Store apps for free. Even if developers choose not to use Apple’s App Store or payment system, they still need to pay a “core technology fee” of 50 euro cents per user account each year, except for the first 1 million users and nonprofits, schools, and governments.