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Apple responds after being forced to approve porn app on EU iPhones due to DMA [U]

AltStore PAL now free, thanks to grant from Epic Games | Screengrab of app

Both Apple and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney have provided responses below…


Apple has been legally required to approve a pornography app for iPhone users in EU markets due to regulatory actions put in place by Europe’s Digital Markets Act. Since launching the App Store in 2008, Apple’s policy has been to prevent apps explicitly for distributing pornography from being listed in the App Store.

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DeepSeek privacy under investigation in US and Europe; removed from App Store in Italy

DeepSeek privacy under investigation in US and Europe | App seen on an iPhone

DeepSeek privacy concerns have led to investigations being opened in both the US and Europe, and seen the app removed from the App Store in Italy. It seems likely the same will happen in other countries.

Italian’s privacy regulator questioned whether the app complied with GDPR, a tough privacy law that applies across 30 different countries …

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Apple could be forced to promote state-backed apps on iPhone in India

One in seven iPhones now made in India | Apple Store BKC

India remains Apple’s largest market opportunity after China. Growing the business in India, however, has always required a bit of compromise with the local government. In 2019, it was a small investment of $1 billion that helped unlock iPhone exports from India. More recently, India has pressured Apple to put its government-backed app store on the iPhone.

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UK competition authority formally investigating iPhone App Store monopoly

Apple App Store

The UK government today announced that the Competition and Markets Authority has launched strategic market status investigations into mobile ecosystems, specifically the App Store models of iPhone and Android.

The report says it will assess Apple’s market power, and potential exploitative conduct. This includes options for app distribution to customers, and the terms app developers must agree to to be listed in the App Store in the first place.

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TikTok ban suspended for 75 days, but Trump order may not be legal

TikTok ban suspended for 75 days, but Trump order may not be legal | The White House at night

The TikTok ban which came into effect on Sunday has been suspended for 75 days by an executive order signed by President Trump on his inauguration day. He has also said that US companies who provide services to TikTok during this time will not be prosecuted.

However, legal scholars note that Trump’s order does not appear to comply with the law, and say that companies who make TikTok available remain liable for hundreds of billions of dollars of fines, so Apple is unlikely to return the app to the App Store

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TikTok is back in the US, but it’s not on the App Store: Here’s what you need to know

It’s been a tumultuous several days for TikTok in the United States. The app went offline on Saturday night and was removed from the App Store by Apple. On Sunday afternoon, however, TikTok restored service in the United States thanks to “necessary clarity” provided by President Trump.

Despite TikTok being online once again in the United States, however, the app remains unavailable from the App Store. Here’s what you need to know about that ever-evolving situation.

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Apple denies App Store profit margin is 75% – claims to have no clue

Apple denies 75% profit margin on the App Store – says it can't be calculated | iPhone calculator app showing zero

Apple’s incoming CFO didn’t get much time to settle in before he found himself in court defending the company against a class action lawsuit. Kevan Parekh yesterday claimed that the company that it has no clue about its App Store profit margin.

This is a stance the company has taken before. Indeed, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller even went as far as to claim he didn’t even know whether the App Store made a profit at all …

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App Store has hundreds of ‘risky’ apps rated as appropriate for kids [U: Apple responds]

App Store has hundreds of 'risky' apps rated as appropriate for kids | Young child unlocking an iPhone

Even a brief review of the App Store revealed more than 200 “risky or inappropriate” apps rated as ok for children, according to a new report. They had collectively notched up more than 550 million downloads.

Two child safety groups say that more than 25% of the child-rated apps they reviewed gave cause for concern, suggesting that the total number of problematic apps is very much higher …

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Almost half of developer revenue now comes from subscriptions

Almost half of developer revenue now comes from subscriptions | Hand holding roll of $20 bills

Analytics data suggests that we’re downloading fewer iPhone apps this year than last, but spending significantly more money on them. That’s because almost half of developer revenue now comes from subscriptions.

App Store downloads declined slightly in the past 12 months, but the total spend increased dramatically from $73.7B last year to $91.6B this year …

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Apple approves Delta emulator in US App Store with special external payment link

App Store payment

In the US and around the world, Apple has been engaged in a years-long dispute over the App Store, payments, and the like. One big battlefront has been Apple’s prohibition against third-party payment options, but now popular game emulator Delta might just be the first app in the US to support linking to external payment options.

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Interview: How these developers created 2024’s most celebrated apps

Apple today announced the winners of the 2024 App Store Awards, recognizing apps and games that “helped users ignite their creativity, achieve new milestones, and cherish everyday moments with family and friends.”

I had the chance to spend time with three of this year’s winners and ask them about how they created their Apple award-winning apps.

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Developers told $1B class action lawsuit against Apple can proceed, as second objection rejected

Gravy Analytics breach

British developers have been told that their billion dollar class action lawsuit against Apple can proceed, after the iPhone maker failed in its second bid to have the case dismissed.

Developers behind the antitrust case are seeking repayment of up to £785M ($995M) in commission on apps, in the latest move against Apple’s monopoly on the sale of iPhone apps …

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