US company Apple has announced further changes to its App Store rules in the EU in an attempt to avoid potential billion-euro fines, the Financial Times reports.
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It is the fourth time the iPhone maker has changed its EU business rules since it first began complying with the EU's Digital Markets Act earlier this year.
The new rules force Apple to open up the iPhone to competing app stores and payment methods.
The tech giant has unveiled plans to make changes to its EU business that will make it easier and cheaper for developers to direct users to make purchases outside the App Store.
The measures, set to be rolled out in a software update this fall, include a new fee structure and relaxed rules on how developers can display links in their apps.
Some mobile app developers have campaigned for years to be allowed to direct customers to their own websites, where purchases could be more profitable for developers or cheaper for consumers because they are not subject to App Store fees.
Fines
If Apple is found guilty of failing to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, the company faces huge fines that could amount to up to 10% of its global turnover, meaning any fine for Apple could be in the tens of billions of euros.
Developers who remain on Apple's App Store pay the tech giant's standard fee for digital purchases, which ranges from 15% to 30%. Critics argue that Apple's tight control over its ecosystem amounts to abuse of a monopoly.
Meanwhile, the EU has launched a separate investigation into Apple's “core technology fee” of €0.50 for each new app download through alternative stores.
Apple's latest changes do not eliminate that fee. The EU has not yet concluded its investigation.
Apple maintains that its rules provide a safe and secure platform for its users and has criticized the EU's Digital Markets Act for undermining its privacy and security guarantees.
- Apple